I am thrilled to announce that Dayana Salas from St. Lucie West Centennial High School in St. Lucie County was selected as the winner of the 2026 Congressional Art Competition. Her artwork will be displayed alongside the winners from each Congressional district across the country in the halls of the U.S. Capitol for one year and will receive a trip to Washington, D.C. 

I'm constantly impressed by the brilliance and talent of our youth, their passion, creativity, and drive give us hope for the future. There’s so much skill, effort, and imagination in these pieces, I’m proud of every single student who participated.

The other finalists were Gianna Pagano from Oxbridge Academy and Brooklyn Kelly from Martin County High School.

Honorable mentions were also awarded to:

• Natalia Cazares, John Carroll High School

• Brianne Murray, Visionary School of Arts

• Leah Soesbe, Lindsay School of the Arts

• Diana Karakhanova, St. Lucie West Centennial High School

• Marlee Jones, The Pine School

• Zephyr Hicks, Jupiter Community High School

Each year, the Congressional Art Competition honors the exceptional artistic abilities of high school students from across the country. The goal of the competition is to support and promote the arts, as well as to foster creativity and artistic expression among our nation’s youth. The Congressional Art Competition began in 1982, and since that time, more than 700,000 students have participated. 

It’s always an honor to recognize young artists in our community, and I hope you – or someone you know – consider participating in next year’s competition!