Junseo Kim’s winning artwork, “Shelter, Paradise, Beauty: Where I Grew New Wings.”
(Office of the CNMI Congressional Delegate) — Junseo Kim of Saipan International School is the Marianas winner of the 2024 Congressional Art Competition for the second straight year, U.S. Congressman Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan announced Tuesday. A panel of local artists chose Kim’s work from among 28 entries submitted by Northern Marianas high school students for the annual competition.
“Congratulations to Mr. Kim for winning the Congressional Art Competition again this year,” said Congressman Sablan. “We have many talented student artists in the Marianas, so to win twice is no easy feat.”
Sablan thanked the panel of artists, who volunteered their time to review and evaluate the entries, and all the students who took part in the annual competition. He also congratulated Kim’s SIS art teacher, Amie McRoberts, for her student’s work.
Kim describes his piece, titled “Shelter, Paradise, Beauty: Where I Grew New Wings,” as depicting “a Mariana kingfisher with background of Bird Island, which symbolizes the unique biodiversity of the island but also the strength and resilience of its flora and fauna.”
Now, the watercolor, pencil, and colored pencil artwork will be displayed for one year at the U.S. Capitol; and Kim will be invited to this year’s Congressional Art Competition National Reception in Washington, D.C.
“I look forward to seeing Junseo’s work hanging at the Capitol, alongside the winning art of other talented young people from across our nation,” Congressman Sablan said. “The student artists’ display is a highlight for the tens of thousands of visitors, who come here every year.”
Members of Congress host the Congressional Art Competition for high school students in their districts. Students can submit artwork using a variety of media, such as oil, charcoal, watercolors, pencils, photographs, collages, prints, or computer-generated art. This is the sixteenth year that students from the Northern Mariana Islands have been able to participate in the Congressional Art Competition.
