Young Artists Shine in 2025 Congressional Art Competition

Congressman Eric Swalwell announced the winners of the annual Congressional Art Competition during a reception at the Cherryland Community Center in Hayward, celebrating the creativity and imagination of high school students from across California’s 14th Congressional District.

Families, local artists, and community leaders gathered for the ceremony, where student artworks—in various media ranging from paintings and drawings to collages —were displayed. A panel of distinguished judges, comprising artists from the Bay area, selected the winning entries.

This year’s competition invited students to reflect on the theme "UTOPIA"—asking them to envision a perfect America through their own creative lenses. The prompt encouraged explorations of equality, innovation, and community, resulting in a dynamic and diverse exhibition of ideas.

The top honor went to Yan Tung (Chloe) Miao, a student at Castro Valley High School, for her piece titled "The Unseen Amongst the Seen." Miao’s artwork will be displayed for one year in the Cannon Tunnel of the U.S. Capitol, the most highly traveled access point between the House of Representatives and the Capitol itself. Every day, Members of Congress, distinguished visitors, and tens of thousands of tourists from across the country and around the world pass through the tunnel, offering a prestigious platform for the winning artwork.

"Chloe's art will soon hang in the U.S. Capitol, reminding every member of Congress that our differences are our strength and that the stories from our communities matter," commented Rep Swalwell.

The Congressional Art Competition, founded in 1982 and sponsored by the bipartisan Congressional Institute, is a nationwide visual arts contest designed to recognize and encourage artistic talent among high school students. Since its inception, more than 650,000 students have participated, bringing young artists' visions to the halls of Congress.

Judges for this year’s District 14 competition included Jenny Aguilar, Sudipta Chatterjee, Suvagata Chatterjee, Sawsan Jari, Debra Collins, and Ellarin Baylon.

Rep Swalwell made the following remarks in a social media post "I was honored to host our 2025 Art Competition Reception and celebrate the incredible young artists of #CA14!..To all the students who participated: your art tells our story. And our story is stronger because of you."