LOS ANGELES - Four Downey students were announced as winners of the 17th annual 34th Congressional District Student Art Competition hosted by Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard (CA-34).Each art entry was judged on originality, technical skill, artistic presentation and use of color and contrast. Veraphum Chaiyakam, a senior at Warren High School, won the El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument First Place Award. His prisma color pencils, pen, ink, vellum and newspaper piece entitled "Human Nature" will be exhibited in the U.S. Capitol for one year. Chaiyakam will travel to Washington, D.C. to attend the June 17 national exhibit opening. He also received a $1,000 scholarship, $200 gift card for art supplies, $150 in cash, and $500 spending money for his trip to Washington. An image of Chaiyakam's winning piece has been printed on 2,000 posters advertising the competition, which will be distributed throughout the year. Warren High also received a $600 gift card to purchase supplies for its art program. Alexis Chanes, also a Warren senior, won the City of Bell Gardens Second Place Award for her digital photography piece entitled "Ethereal Animals." She won a $750 scholarship, $175 gift card and $100 cash, while Warren received an additional $500 gift card. Angel Lopez, a senior at Downey High School, won the Central Basin Municipal Water District Third Place Award with is prisma color pencils and graphite piece entitled "Through the Eyes of Tomorrow." Lopez received a $500 scholarship, $150 gift card and $100 in cash. Downey High received a $400 gift card. Danielle Andalon, a junior at Warren, won the White Memorial Medical Center Honorable Mention Award for her oil pastel painting entitled "Own Little World." She received a $250 scholarship, $125 gift card and $100 cash. Warren also received a gift card worth $300. Jamilet Bautista, a senior at Maywood Academy High School, was awarded the Union Pacific Honorable Mention Award. Following the exhibit at the U.S. Capitol, the works by Chaiyakam, Chanes and Lopez will hang for one year at the Pico House gallery in downtown Los Angeles.

********** Published: April 30, 2010 - Volume 9 - Issue 2