Fircrest — Vancouver student Marina Mamaeva-Wooden won first place in the 2019 Southwest Washington Congressional Art Competition with her painting titled “Kindred.” The competition winners were announced May 9. A student at Medallion Art School, Mamaeva-Wooden has been invited to visit Washington, D.C., next month to see her work displayed in the U.S. Capitol Building. In March, Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler, R-Battle Ground, announced that her office was accepting submissions for the art competition from all high school students within Washington’s 3rd Congressional District. Accepted mediums included paintings, drawings, collages, prints, two-dimensional mixed media, computer-generated art and photographs. Winners were selected by a panel of judges from across the region. Second place went to Kimberly Pacheco-Ayala of Kelso High School. Third place was a three-way tie between Aaron Laferty of Kelso High School, Joseph Scott Hongel of Battle Ground High School and Miah Montgomery of Kelso High School. All participants of the art competition were also invited to a student art show held Wednesday at the Vancouver Community Library. “I continue to be amazed by the talent of our student artists in Southwest Washington, and this year was no exception,” Herrera Beutler said in a media release. “We had some outstanding submissions, which made it all the more difficult for our judges to choose a winner. I am excited to hang Marina’s beautiful painting in the Capitol building for all D.C. visitors to admire!”
