Congressman Mike Levin hosted this annual spring event to celebrate high school artists from throughout California’s 49th Congressional District.  

A panel of judges including Claire Kavaya, Zach Cordner, and OMA Executive Director Maria Mingalone convened by Oceanside Museum of Art reviewed 303 submissions from 14 high schools. The 50 featured artworks were selected for their creativity of expression, use of materials, and quality of presentation. The judges awarded First Place to Encinitas Loves Classic Cars by Madeline Morton, a senior at San Dieguito Academy. After appearing here, it will be sent to Washington for display in the United States Capitol.

Many thanks to Arts Orange County for supporting the artists in this event.

Featured Artists:

Addie Desmarais, Alexandra Linlor, Alysa Guise, Audrey Nobles, Ava Zachry, Bell Dye, Bri Kristol, Brookelyn Thompson, Cali Lampe, Charlotte Reed, Cheyenne Crowe, DJ Popova, Emily Johnson, Genevra Bojador, George Crabbe, Gianna Griffin, Haley Reed, Hana Wilhovsky, Hudson Taylor, Jacob Johnson, Jett Bergthold, Joseph Dickinson, Josue Rodriguez Sumano, Jules Locken, Julie Wang, Kylie Martindale, Lana Walters, Lila (Lulu) Siddiqui, Logan Rosenberg, Lucia Caliri, Madeline Morton, Maia Teipel, Makena Bactat, Mallory Hartung, Marcus Harris, Mauricio Penaloza, McKinley Blehm, Morea Voci, Ryan Macedo, Rystyn Williams, Samantha Jones, Sarina Sonnenshein, Shane Gayle, Sienna Kuderka, Sienna Lawrence, Talia Rarick, Taryn Limsico, Thomas Schardt, Victoria Allison, and Wendy Cervantes.

Honorable Mentions:

Zach Cordner first picked up a camera at just fourteen years old. He has worked for the likes of the Associated Press, Rolling Stone, Capitol Records, and Vans, and was an official Coachella Music Festival photographer. He is the Creative Director and co-founder of Osider Magazine. He also teaches an afterschool photography program at Oceanside High School, helping students learn the techniques of photojournalism and how to document the world around them.

Clair Kavaya is a French artist and art teacher who taught art in Paris for 16 years before moving to Southern California and continuing her teaching career at The Side Street Art Studio. She studied painting at the University of Fine Arts of Paris (Beaux-Arts de Paris) where her work was very influenced by American painters such as Georgia O'Keeffe, Edward Hopper, Eric Fischl. After meeting her husband, who was born and raised in San Clemente, she fell in love with Southern California and decided to continue teaching in a spacious studio where everyone can feel comfortable and experience figurative drawing and painting.

Maria Mingalone is the executive director of Oceanside Museum of Art, where she began working in 2017. Her background includes not only expertise in curating and museum education, but also 25 years of progressive museum and nonprofit management expertise. She holds a Masters of Science degree in museum education and leadership from the Bank Street Graduate School of Education in New York, NY.