Monday, May 23, 2011 By Cami Kenney
"This Is Vermont" Above is the photograph that I submitted to the Competition. - Cami Kenney
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Drawings,
Paintings,
Photography,
...Congressmen?!?!?!
Each
spring students from around the nation submit a piece of 2d art work to
their congressional Representative. Each Representative then holds a
gallery in witch all of that art is showed and voted on. The winners of
each gallery then goes on to Washington where they are displayed for a
year. Students enjoy participating because we have a chance at getting
our art work nationally recognised.
Last
winter my AP Art teacher, Dodi Gomez, approached me and informed me
that one of my photographs was going to be submitted to the competition.
At first I wasn’t very excited about the competition, but as it drew
closer I became more excited. Dodi Gomez then helped me chose one of my
best photographs and we both decided that it should be one that screamed
VERMONT! After comparing some of my better Vermont photographs, we
decided on one that I took by change. The photograph was taken at the
end of last summer during a family trip threw central Vermont. We were
driving back home after a day of hiking when we happened to see two
farmers plowing a field using horses. In this modern world, that Is a
very rare thing.
Gomez
printed the photograph off as large as we could, even though it was the
very awkward size of 18’ wide by 10’ tall. Finding a frame that didn’t
look goofy on it was a challenge, but we settled for a plain black one
that ended up suiting it quite well.
When
my dad and I first got to the Vermont College of Fine Arts, where the
Vermont show was, I had no idea what to expect. As we walked into the
building in Montpelier, there were people from all over the state
milling around looking at the different art work that was covering every
wall. There were paintings, pen drawings, pencil drawings, computer
generated images, collages, photographs, and just about any other visual
art that exists at this time.
Right
in the center of the room was a desk to check in were we also got
programs that explained who’s art was in the show and what schools the
students attend. There were about 100 hundred student’s art work
displaid. The people differed almost as much as the kinds of art.
My
dad used to work for Senator Leahy, so he knew most of the government
people that were in attendance. It is quite humbling to be approached by
such influential men and women of our world, addressed by name and
asked what piece of art was mine.
At
one point I was sitting on a bench looking at a drawing that had won a
ribbon and our State Treasurer, Elizabeth Pearce, asked me if I liked
it. I had to be honest, and tell her that I liked the work but the eyes
were not the same size and one side of the drawing was darker and more
weighted then the other. She seemed surprised that I had such a strong
opinion, but more so that I was willing to voice it. We went on to talk
about why she was there and how even though her job has nothing to do
with art and she thinks she is no good at art, she appreciates the arts.
I
was very honored to be in the gallery even though I didn’t win
anything. It was a very interesting experience and showed me a bit about
what a real gallery would be like. I hope that in the future I will be
in many more art shows and galleries.