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U.S. Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (MI-12) today announced that Bojana Vukovic, a senior exchange student from Theodore Roosevelt High School, is the winner of this year’s Congressional Art Competition for Michigan’s 12th District. Bojana was recognized at a ceremony Saturday in Taylor and her piece, an acrylic painting entitled “Waterfall,” will hang in the U.S. Capitol for one year.

“We are extremely proud that Bojana’s work will represent our district in the halls of Congress,” said Dingell. “Art is an opportunity to share different cultures and perspectives. When young people have the opportunity to tap into their creativity, new doors are opened and new paths are discovered. Now more than ever, we need to encourage young peoples’ participation in the arts and support critical investments in arts education. The talent we saw in this year’s competition is truly amazing and we must continue to recognize and encourage it.”

"Since I'm an exchange student this has been a life changing and once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me," said Bojana. "When I first stepped on the ground in the U.S. I never could have imagined I could have won a competition like this. I am so grateful for everything that has happened so far."

Bojana’s artwork will be sent to Washington, D.C. where it will be displayed alongside the works of other first place winners from across the country in a main corridor between the Capitol and the House Office Buildings. Bojana will be honored at a ceremony celebrating the opening of the show in Washington on Thursday, June 29th. The second place, third place and honorable mention winners’ artwork will be displayed in Dingell’s Dearborn District Office where everyone who visits will have the opportunity to enjoy some of the finest works from across the 12th District.

The competition was judged by leaders in Southeast Michigan’s art community: Deb Polich, president and CEO of Artrain in Ann Arbor; Martine MacDonald, adjunct professor in the Arts and Humanities Department at Wayne County Community College District; and Elizabeth Barrett-Sullivan, the curator of exhibits at the Arab American National Museum.

Sabrina Nelson, admission counselor at the College for Creative Studies in Detroit, was the featured speaker.

Special recognition goes to:

2nd Place Winner: Zeinab Farhat  (11th Grade) – Fordson High School – Artwork Title: Jidda/Medium: Photography

3rd Place Winner: Beatrice Miller (11th Grade) – Flat Rock High School – Artwork Title: Woolly/Medium: Charcoal

Honorable Mention Winners:

Anna Hardin (11th Grade) – Edsel Ford High School – Artwork Title: Innocence/Medium: Ball Point Pen

Megan Bovee ( 12th Grade) – Oscar Carlson High School – Artwork Title: Nature’s True Colors/Medium: Marker

Megan McCormick (12th Grade) – Theodore Roosevelt High School – Artwork Title: Another Cat/Medium: Glass

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 Artistic Discovery competition began in 1982, more than 650,000 high school students have participated.