Junior Ava Hankins will advance in the Congressional Art Competition for her work entitled ‘Man’s Best Friend,” depicting a Bloodhound rendered in charcoal.
Ava spoke to The Express about her work.
“I wanted to have some sort of plot or something happening for visual interest. So the dog is in the snow, following some footprints, and so the context is kind of up to interpretation,” said Hankins.
Congressman Levin (CA49) will announce the top three winners, along with Honorable Mentions at a special reception in Oceanside Museum of Art on Thursday April 2 at 5:30pm.
The winning artists will be presented with checks for $500 for first place, $300 for second place and $100 for third place. All artists whose work was selected for the museum display will be given a certificate recognizing their achievement and a photo opportunity with the Congressman.
“Artists, especially young artists, are given very few opportunities for competitions and getting their work out there. So I think even where I’ve gotten is so valuable,” said Hankins.
The art awarded first place will be shipped to the U.S. Capitol to be put on display for one year. Also, the winning artist will receive two roundtrip plane tickets to Washington, DC to attend the national Congressional Art Competition reception on June 25, 2026.
“I think no matter what I do in life, as long as I’m pursuing something that matters to me, it is art,” said Hankins.
