Alizjah Swenson will have her colored pencil drawing on display in the U.S. Capitol Building for the next year.
Her entry, titled “Canola,” shows a canola field found on a rural, eastern North Dakota landscape, and was chosen as the North Dakota winner of the Congressional Art Competition.
“It’s my favorite place to go,” Swenson said. “It’s so pretty, so I decided to draw something that reminds me of my favorite place.”
Swenson, 18, a 2014 graduate of Central High School, submitted her entry to the North Dakota Juried Student Art Show at the Taube Museum of Art in Minot. It was chosen by professional artists to represent the state of North Dakota in the nation’s capital.
“This is such a big honor because it’s in an important place and so many people will walk by it,” Swenson said. “Thousands of people will walk by my drawing and that’s incredible to think about.”
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She was invited by Rep. Kevin Cramer to see the unveiling of her drawing. She and her family spent six days in Washington, D.C., which was Swenson’s first time visiting the nation’s capital.
“It was awesome to be able to do something like this,” she said. “It’s an honor to win. It’s hard to believe something you drew will be seen by that many people.”
Swenson will enroll at UND in the fall and minor in graphic design, continuing to improve her art skills. She said her love of art really began in middle school. From then on, she began to take art classes and sharpen her skills.
She said she was encouraged to enter the Congressional Art Competition by Linda Shaw-Elgin, her art teacher at Central.
Each spring, the Congressional Institute sponsors a nationwide high school visual art competition to recognize and encourage artistic talent in the nation and in each congressional district. Since the competition began in 1982, more than 650,000 high school students have participated.
Call Rupard at (701) 780-1122; (800) 477-6572, ext. 1122; or send email to wrupard@gfherald.com .
