Congressman Cliff Bentz Announces Winner of the 2026 Congressional Art Competition
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Cliff Bentz (OR-O2) announced that Yi-jia, Lu (Lyra Lu), a junior attending Burns High School, has been selected as the winner of OR-02’s 2026 Congressional Art Competition out of a record number of amazing submissions.
Yi-jia Lu's (Lyra Lu’s) artwork, "Still, She Rises", was selected by a panel of five judges who praised Lyra’s work as “beautifully executed and quite powerful”. Her drawing will be displayed during the forthcoming year as part of the national student art exhibit located within the U.S. Capitol.
Yi-jia, Lu (Lyra Lu), said, describing what she had created: “This colored pencil piece is about how freedom isn’t always loud or obvious. I wanted it to feel more quiet and personal, like something that exists inside someone instead of something far away. The face represents a person, and the Statue of Liberty comes out of it instead of being separate. To me, that shows how freedom isn’t just a symbol, it’s something people carry with them. The eagle and the buildings represent the country, but they’re less detailed because I wanted them to feel more like an idea than something fixed. With the U.S. celebrating another year of independence, I thought about how patriotism isn’t’ the same for everyone. For some people it’s loud and proud, but for others it’s more quiet and personal. As the image fades out to the right, it shows how freedom can feel unclear or change over time, but it’s still something that is always there.”
Said Congressman Bentz: "I congratulate Yi-jia on her achievement. I look forward to seeing Still, She Rises during the up-coming year, as I, along with my 434 congressional colleagues, walk to and from the House Chamber to vote and debate national issues. I thank her for her incredible work. Congratulations!"
Bentz also announced three regional winners from Oregon’s Second District. Regional winners will have their art displayed in one of Congressman Bentz’s offices in either Medford, OR, Ontario, OR or Washington, D.C.
These three winners are:
- ‘The Pillars that Built a Nation’, Phoenix High School, Grade 12
- ‘To My Great-Grandfather May He Rest’, Phoenix High School, Grade 12
- ‘Two Promises’, Crater High School, Grade 12
Congressman Bentz thanked the judges for their work in judging the 2025 competition. “Thank you to the judges who volunteered their time and expertise to our district's art competition,” Bentz said. “They helped make this year's competition a success.”
The Congressional Art Competition is a nationwide program for students to showcase their artistic abilities and to highlight the importance of art education. Since its start in 1982, more than 700,000 high school students from around the country have participated.
Photos of the winners and more information on the competition can be found via Rep. Bentz’s website: https://bentz.house.gov/services/art-competition.