Cal High Student Places Third in Congressional Art Contest

Rep. Jerry McNerney, D-Pleasanton, this week announced winners of the annual 11th District Congressional Art Competition.

California High School junior Winnie Chang won third for her oil painting of the state bird, called "Shh! Here Come the California Quails."

Shao-Ning Lu, a sophomore at Pleasanton's Amador Valley High School, placed first for her colored pencil work she titled, "Together We Support."

And second place went to Yandi Wu for her oil painting titled "Time is Ticking." Wu is a freshman at Foothill High School, also in Pleasanton.

“The Art Competition is a great opportunity for talented high school students in our community to showcase their work in an art gallery and meet other young artists from the area,” McNerney said in a statement.  “I'm always impressed by the talent and creativity of our students, and especially so this year."

The first-place winner will have her work displayed in the nation's Capitol.

The districtwide competition is part of a larger national contest created to highlight the talents of the nation's youth.

Lu's piece, “Together We Support,” will hang in a high-traffic corridor that congress members and other visitors to Washington D.C. walk through every day, said McNerney spokeswoman Sarah Hersh. The second and third place winners will have their work hung up in one of McNerney's offices, either in D.C., Pleasanton or Stockton.

Lu will fly to D.C. with a guest to attend the national awards ceremony on June 22.

Adaurie Dayak, a sophomore at Kimball High School in Tracy, placed fourth for her collage called “Literary Cat.”