South OC Times

Orange Lutheran High School junior, Mary Jane Pfaff from Tustin, has been declared the winner of the Congressional Art Competition for California’s 40th District. Her artwork, titled “Gazing Through the Lens of Perception,” is a meticulously crafted oil paint piece that symbolizes multiple viewpoints, emphasizing the elusive nature of perception.

The announcement was made by U.S. Representative Young Kim (CA-40) at a reception held at the Hilbert Museum of California Art on Friday, May 10, 2024. The event was organized to honor participants of the art competition, which invites submissions from high school students across CA-40.

Expressing her admiration for the young artists, Rep. Young Kim said, “I am so amazed by the creativity and skill exhibited by the 52 talented CA-40 high school artists who submitted their artwork for this year’s Congressional Art Competition.” She praised Pfaff's work specifically for its portrayal of perception through multiple viewpoints and expressed delight that it would be viewed by her congressional colleagues and thousands of visitors at the U.S. Capitol building.

The panel judging the competition comprised Jack Knight, Artist/Illustrator; Rosemary Vasquez Tuthill, Commissioned Artist and daughter of Emigdio Vasquez; Katy McInnes, Director of Partnerships at Child Creativity Lab; and Britt Samuels, Owner of EyeNoMedia, Photographer and Art Curator.

Other winners from CA-40 included Jennifer Choi from Orange Country School of the Arts who secured second place with "Behind the Veil," and Haylin Kim also from Orange County School of Arts who came third with "Through the Bubble Lens."