Your representatives at work

Sam Farr wants your art. Luis Alejo wants your ideas to keep students from dropping out.

Submissions are now being received for the 2011 Congressional Art Competition, An Artistic Discovery. All local high school students in the 17th Congressional District are invited to participate by submitting up to three pieces of original student artwork.

Entries must be submitted to Congressman Sam Farr’s Salinas or Santa Cruz District offices, by May 6, 2011. Submitted entries will be judged at a reception on May 16, 2011 at Rancho Cielo Youth Campus, 710 Old Stage Road, Salinas, CA 93908.

The first place winner will receive two roundtrip tickets to Washington, D.C. from Southwest Airlines, and will join students from across the country to be honored at a reception in Washington, D.C. in mid-June. The winning student’s artwork will also be displayed in the Capitol for a year.

Artwork must be original, two-dimensional and when framed cannot be larger than 28 inches x 28 inches x 4 inches. Categories for competition include paintings, drawings, collage, prints, mixed media, computer generated art and photography.
For more information about the contest, click here.

For further questions and full details, please contact Bertha Munoz in Congressman Farr’s Salinas’ office at 831-424-2229. All submissions are due by May 6, 2011.

Last year, Georgiana Bruce Kirby Preparatory School student from Santa Cruz, Hanna Seltz, was awarded first place for her entry, titled “Buejuv, Zanzibar”. To view last year winning painting, click here.

Now on to Assemblymember Luis A. Alejo. The legislator will host a summit catchily named "Knock out the Drop Out," which is intended to reduce drop out rates in the Central Coast.

The summit will include a forum, a speakers’ panel and workshops for youth grades 6th to 12th.

On Sat., April 9, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Hartnell College, 411 Central Avenue, Salinas.