High School Art Exhibit Opens At Bucks County Community College

NEWTOWN, PA — The 30th Annual High School Art Exhibit opens March 19 and continues through April 12 at the Hicks Art Center Gallery on the campus of the Bucks County Community College in Newtown.

Art teachers from more than 20 high schools have selected works crafted by their students between May 2024 and March 2025, to be considered for the U.S. Congressional Art Competition Prize. In addition, the works are also in the running for the 30th Annual High School Art Exhibition Awards, all totaling $1,500 in prize money,

“For these young artists, having their works exhibited in the college’s galleries gives them a taste of the professional art world while establishing a sense of collectiveness with their peers,” said Clifford Eberly, exhibitions associate at the Hicks Art Center Gallery. “We hope it inspires them to continue to pursue their creative passion, be it here at Bucks, or elsewhere.”

Cucina, a digital photograph by Cooper Tyksinski of Central Bucks High School West in Doylestown, won the 2024 Congressional Art Award and now hangs in the Cannon Tunnel of the U.S. Capitol Building to represent the 1st Congressional District.

High school art contests are held in every congressional district each spring. The first-place winning artwork from the Bucks County exhibition will be sent to Washington, D.C., to represent Pennsylvania’s First Congressional District on display in the U.S. Capitol’s Cannon Tunnel for a year. Winners from each district are also published online.

More than 200 artworks in drawing, painting, photography, digital media, ceramics, fibers, sculpture, and furniture showcasing the young artists’ creative talents will fill the galleries and hallways of Hicks Art Center.

A reception and awards ceremony will be held on Sunday, March 30 from 12:30 to 4 p.m. Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick will present the awards at 1 p.m. The exhibition and reception are free and open to the public.

Johnson Shi of Pennsbury High School in Fairless Hills won the Fine Craft Honorable Mention for River Table Writing Desk, made of wood, resin, and hardware, at last year’s High School Art Exhibition.

The event is hosted by the college’s School of Arts and Communication, which offers eight associate degree transfer majors and two certificate programs. Bucks County Community College is an accredited institutional member of both the National Association of Schools of Art and Design and the National Association of Schools of Music. To learn more, visit bucks.edu/arts.

The Hicks Art Center Gallery is located on the campus at 275 Swamp Road, Newtown 18940, where there is ample free parking. During the exhibition from March 19 to April 12, gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, and noon to 4 p.m. Saturday. Learn more at bucks.edu/gallery and follow @bcccartscomm on Instagram.