Davis High Grad Will Have Painting Hung in U.S. Capitol

Visitors to the U.S. Capitol will be greeted by a painting done by a recent Davis High School graduate.

The painting, done by 2013 graduate Henry Anker, won an art contest from Rep. John Garamendi (D-Fairfield). Anker and his parents visited Garamendi's office in Washington, D.C. to celebrate his victory.

His painting, "An Echo of Chopin," depicts his late grandmother, who had dementia, trying to remember a song on the piano.

“By opening up about his family, Henry’s artwork enlivens our common humanity. While remaining humble, his work provides insight that people of all ages can learn from,” a press release quoted Garamendi as saying. “Introducing bright young students to the center of our nation’s Representative Democracy is inspiring and a learning experience for everyone involved.”

A full press release from Garamendi's office follows:

WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman John Garamendi (D-Fairfield, CA) welcomed the winner of the Congressional Art Competition high school graduate Henry Anker and his parents to Washington, DC as his art piece was placed in the United States Capitol for an entire year for hundreds of thousands to walk past and admire. In the past few weeks, the Congressman has met with a number of distinguished young students from across California’s Third Congressional District, which he represents. (Pictures are linked to and included throughout this release).

Each spring, an Art Competition is held in Congressional Districts across the nation. A panel of artists selected this year’s winners for California’s Third District. “Eagle” by Juan Garcia and “The Bridge” by O’Naria Perez received honorable mentions; both students are graduates of Woodland High School. “The Migration” by David Maldonado of River Valley High School in Yuba City,“Converse Linoleum Print” by Fernando Larios-Garcia of River Valley High School in Yuba City, and “Cherry Blossom” by Josh Dove of Woodland High School received special merit designations. Click here to view all art pieces.

The overall competition winner, Henry Anker, is a 2013 graduate of Davis High School and a rising freshman at UCLA. He was honored both at the district and at an award ceremony in Washington, DC. His winning submission, “An Echo of Chopin,” portrays his now late Grandmother, who in her final years had dementia, recalling a classical song on the piano. The art piece is part of a series titled “While Age Comes On” that depicts this personal experience (courtesy of the artist). This series was displayed at the exhibit “Generations of Artistry: Artwork by and about Yolo County Seniors,” which was held at Gallery 625 in Woodland, California and written about in the Davis Enterprise.

“By opening up about his family, Henry’s artwork enlivens our common humanity. While remaining humble, his work provides insight that people of all ages can learn from,” said Congressman Garamendi. “Introducing bright young students to the center of our nation’s Representative Democracy is inspiring and a learning experience for everyone involved.”

In addition to meeting with Henry, the Congressman has recently welcomed several other students to the U.S. Capitol and his Washington office. Last month, Garamendi met with a Northern California delegation of high school students in town for a Future Farmers of America (FFA) national convention on citizenship. Shown with Garamendi (from the right in this picture) are Joe Martin from Woodland-Pioneer FFA, Eleanor Harlan from Woodland FFA, Danielle Diele from Golden Valley Merced FFA, and Angie Rodriguez from Morgan Hill FFA. The group discussed the students’ plans to pursue careers in agricultural education, law, and business.

Also last month, Kelly Neal, a student at Pioneer High School in Woodland, attended a Washington Youth Summit on the Environment, which covered the Klamath River Basin water crisis, clean energy, and climate change. She met with the Congressman and staff at the Transportation and Infrastructure room and at his Rayburn Building office. Kelly plans to focus on environmental biology and conservation when she goes to college.

Last week, the Congressman met with Jonah, an enthusiastic elementary school student from Yuba City who has Type 1 Diabetes and was in town for a Children’s Congress held by JDRF (formerly known as the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation). Jonah and his mother advocated for funding for research to find a cure for the disease. They also presented the office with a scrapbook that included pictures showing his interest in fishing, baseball, and comic books. At their request, Garamendi signed a letter recognizing the importance of the Special Diabetes Program, which “advances research and human clinical studies to accelerate progress towards curing, treating, and preventing Type 1 Diabetes and diabetes in the American Indian and Alaska Native community.”

Just yesterday, Colusa County high school students Michaela Carvalho and Searah Robertson along with their teacher Ms. Lorilee Niesen visited Garamendi’s DC Office as part of their FFA conference trip. The group discussed rice, agricultural education, the students’ impressive experience selling livestock at county fairs, and more.

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