Dougherty HS Student In Top Finishers in Congressional Contest

PLEASANTON, CA – A Dougherty High student was the runner-up in the annual 15th District Congressional art competition and will have her original piece displayed in the Castro Valley office of Congressman Eric Swalwell.

Hannah McCutcheon placed second with her entry, “Discovering Your Identity" and finished only behind Amador Valley student Anica Xie, whose entry, “Black Lives Matter” was selected as the winner out of 54 entries throughout California’s 15th Congressional District by a panel of judges, Swalwell’s office announced on Monday.

Xie’s entry will be sent to Washington, DC, and will be displayed at the U.S. Capitol for one year. McCutcheon's piece, along with that of third-place finisher Emily Chao's entry “Memories of Perseverance” will be displayed in Swalwell’s office in Castro Valley. Chao is also a student a Amador Valley in Pleasanton.

"Anica’s piece perfectly captures the pain and progress of the Black Lives Matter movement and I am thrilled to have it represent our district in the halls of Congress,” Swalwell said in a news release. “Time and time again I am blown away by the artistic talent of the high school students in our district and this year’s competition was no exception. I want to congratulate Anica on this prestigious honor and look forward to displaying the other winning pieces in my district office.”

Entries were reviewed by a panel of local judges, including Winda Shimizu, executive director of the Hayward Arts Council, Bonnie Stipe, lead painting instructor at Chabot College, and Anne Giancola, the visual arts manager at Livermore Valley Performing Arts Center.