Congressman Kendrick B. Meek (D-FL) Welcomes Congressional Art Competition Winner to Washington, DC

Artist Azura Wannman attends Miami-Dade County's Design and Architecture Senior High School

WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Kendrick B. Meek (D-FL) announced that Azura Wannman, a 16-year-old student from Design and Architecture Senior High School, has won the 17th Congressional District's 2009 Congressional Art Competition.

Azura was recognized for her achievement during a meeting with Rep. Meek in his Capitol Hill office. The winning artist traveled to the nation's capital with her father, Par Wannman on June 24. Azura and her father flew to Washington, DC courtesy of American Airlines.

A resident of North Bay Village, Azura told Rep. Meek during the meeting that in the coming weeks she would be attending a program at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston for five weeks.

"My visit to Washington gave me a lot of incentives to continue, and it also offered a great opportunity to see art submitted by students from all over the nation," Azura added.

The acrylic on canvas painting will be displayed in the U.S. Capitol alongside this year's other honorees. Rep. Meek encouraged the young artist to remain in contact with his Congressional office and take advantage of scholarship opportunities that are available to students from the community.

"Azura is an exceptional artist, and I am more than thrilled to honor her artistic talent and work here in Washington," said Rep. Meek. "While I look forward to seeing Azura's painting every day as I walk through the halls of Congress, it is essential to note that because of budget cuts forcing schools throughout the nation to scale back art and music programs, this opportunity is an exceptional step in encouraging our young artists."

The Congressional Art Competition was created in 1982, in compliance with Article 1 of the Constitution, which gives Congress the authority to promote the arts. Students from all 50 states and the five territories have displayed their art in the Capitol since the competition's inception, which is sponsored by the Congressional Arts Caucus and coordinated by the Caucus Members in the House of Representatives. Over 650,000 high school students have participated in the contest since its inception.

U.S. Rep. Kendrick B. Meek represents the 17^th Congressional District of Florida which includes parts of Miami-Dade and Broward Counties. He serves as the lone Florida Democrat sitting on the House Committee on Ways and Means.

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