Wall High School Student Wins At Congressional High School Art Competition

WALL, NJ — Artwork from a Wall High School student has been named “Best in Show” for this year’s Congressional District Art Competition, Representative Chris Smith (R-NJ 4) announced.

The fourth Congressional District Art Competition winners were announced by Smith at a Friday night award ceremony held at Hackensack Meridian Ocean University Medical Center (HMOUMC) in Brick Township.

At the ceremony, Smith congratulated all of the student artists. The top artist, Marisa Amitie, is a student from Wall High School who won “Best In Show” with her artwork entitled “Beloved.”

The art was done in staples and brad nails on corkboard, officials said, and depicted her dog, who passed away last year. Her work will be displayed at the U.S. Capitol over the next year.

“We celebrate 75 amazing young artists filled with vision, creativity and talent — and the impressive works of art they have worked so hard to complete,” said Smith, who sponsors the annual contest aimed at recognizing and fostering the artistic talent of high school students in the local community. “You should know that over the past month, thousands of people have enjoyed your work — patients, doctors and nurses and hospital staff and visitors.”

Smith went on to congratulate Amitie, whose work was selected by an expert judge panel among “very talented and stiff competition.” Alongside Amitie, six other Wall High School students were named as winners or honorable mentions in the competition.

“Each gifted artist has shared something from themselves to enjoy and appreciate, and we are grateful for their skills and commitment to art,” Smith said. “Each of you are truly winners.”

Amitie was one of 75 total students from Ocean and Monmouth Counties who participated in the annual contest. All artwork submitted to the competition has been on display at Ocean University Medical Center over the past month leading up to the award ceremony.

The complete list of 2025 winners selected by the panel of judges (including local artists Debbie Jencsik and Jim Inzero) includes:

• Best in Show: Marisa Amitie’s “Beloved,” done in staples and brad nails in corkboard. (A graduating senior of Wall High School, her art teacher is Jill Alexander)
• First Place Runner-Up: Katherine Doran’s “Twilight in Ocean Grove,” done in colored pencil and acrylic on black paper. (She is an 11th grader at Wall High School. Her art teacher is Jill Alexander)
• Second Place Runner-Up: Julia Ahlfeld “Morning swim” done in oil on Masonite. (An 11th grader at Wall High School, her teacher is Jill Alexander)
• Third Place Runner-Up: Chiara Byrnes’s “Nature's sculptures,” done in white charcoal. (A 10th grader at Wall High School, her teacher Jill Alexander)
• Fourth Place Runner-Up: Laila Abogabal’s “Hydrangea Reflections,” done in oil pastel. (Laila is a 9th grader at Wall High School. Her teacher is Jill Alexander)
• Fifth Place Runner-Up: Sydney Jones’ “Shadows of Thought” done in oil paint. (A Middletown High School South 11th grader, her art teachers are Brittany James and Heather Cadalzo)
  • Honorable Mention: Tillie Grbic’s “Array of Color,” in oil pastel. (A 9th grader at Wall High School, her teacher is Jill Alexander)
  • Honorable Mention: Xixuan Zhu’s “Self Portrait,” done in oil on canvas. (A Manasquan High School 12th grader, her teacher is Ms. Herman)
  • Honorable Mention: Brooke White, “Embers of the Horizon,” done in oil. (A Wall High School 9th grader, her teacher is Jill Alexander)
  • Honorable Mention: Ian Fox’s “Cemanahuac Iyech Calli” done in acrylic. (The Jackson Liberty High School 12th grader’s teacher is Ms. Megan Bender.)

Hackensack Meridian Ocean University Medical Center President & CEO Frank Citara noted the power of art to give hope and inspiration, not only to patients and their families, but to hospital staff as well.

“It was a pleasure to collaborate with Congressman Smith’s office to host such vibrant artwork from our local high school students,” Citara said.

“Showcasing these pieces was not just about decorating the halls of the hospital but about further instilling a sense of community and providing a source of inspiration and hope for our patients, their families and our team members,” Citara continued. “It's a testament to the healing power of art and a celebration of the young talent within our community."

Smith told the students that when President Johnson signed the landmark National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Act in 1965 into law, he said, “Art is a nation’s most precious heritage. For it is in our works of art that we reveal to ourselves, and to others, the inner vision which guides us as a nation.”

Quoting from the Book of Proverbs, Johnson went on to say, “And where there is no vision, the people perish.” Smith also quoted President Reagan, who, in exalting the right to free speech and expression, said, “Where there’s liberty, art succeeds.”

Most of the art (including the 2025 winners) will be posted in the Congressman’s 2025 Visual Art Gallery here.

To see the full list of 2025 winners, you can click here.

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