A 10th grade student from Barrington High School has won the first Congressional Art Competition for Rhode Island’s First Congressional District, Congressman Gabe Amo announced today.
Vivian Wen’s painting, “Burnout (Self-Portrait),” was selected by a panel of three local judges out of all the artwork received.
“This piece is part of my AP Art portfolio which is themed ‘Academic Validation. ‘ The painting Burnout is supposed to symbolize academic struggle and the idea of a metaphorical burnout, hence why a candle is continuously burning on top of my head,” said Wen, a 10th-grade AP Art student at Barrington High School. “It also represents the feeling of being overwhelmed and the burden of being burnt out by your academics. The painting itself is made with oil paint and fiber paste. The highlight of the painting is the lighting and contrast that I used to demonstrate emotions on a deeper level.”
“I am just so thrilled that Vivian was selected as the winner of this year’s Congressional Art Competition,” said Doreen Lindenburg, AP Art teacher at Barrington High School. “Her unique gift for color and contrast, combined with her work ethic and innate knack for thoughtful composition, make her extremely qualified to represent our state and our district in the U.S. Capitol. I couldn’t be prouder to have sponsored her submission, Burnout (Self-Portrait), which stands out as one of the most unique pieces I’ve seen produced in my 28 years as an art teacher.”
The winning piece will be displayed in the U.S. Capitol for one year.
Generative artificial intelligence (AI) assisted a What’sUpNewp journalist with the reporting included in this story.