Cherry Hill East Student Wins Congressional Art Contest

CHERRY HILL, NJ — A rising sophomore at Cherry Hill High School East has won the 2020 Congressional Art Competition for New Jersey’s First Congressional District, Rep. Donald Norcross announced.

Katherine Li won for her painting, “The Family’s Honor,” which depicts a young man saluting beside his veteran grandfather. His grandfather is holding a folded flag in commemoration of his son’s sacrifice for the country. The painting will hang in the U.S. Capitol.

“Katherine’s painting beautifully depicts the sacrifice families make when their loved ones go to war, sometimes never returning home,” Norcross said. “As the proud father and father-in-law of veterans and a member of the House Armed Services Committee, I know that we, as a nation, owe a debt of gratitude to all of the families who supported their loved ones and paid the ultimate price when their heroes never returned home. I am proud to showcase this painting in the Capitol on behalf of South Jersey.”

“What initially inspired me to paint this piece was the idea of duty—specifically, the duty to serve our nation—and sacrifice, which I directly conveyed through the folded flag,” Li said. “The folding ceremony takes place to commemorate veterans and those that have died fighting for their country. In this case, a veteran remembers his son while his grandson, a young soldier, pays tribute to the same man—his father. My painting reflects three generations of family that have committed themselves to serve. Having the honor to contribute, especially in the context of sacrifice and bravery, strikes me as really touching and admirable.”

All student artists who submitted artwork for the competition will be honored by Norcross with an official Congressional certificate.

It is the second consecutive year the winner has come from Cherry Hill. There has also been a Cherry Hill winner three of the last four years. Recent winners have included:

• In 2019, winner Chelsea Yang of Cherry Hill submitted a painting titled, ““A Meaningful Visit.”
• In 2018, winner Joyce Fang of Voorhees submitted a painting titled, “Neighborhood.”
• In 2017, winner Hannah Jin of Cherry Hill Township submitted a painting titled, “The Tale of the Yellow Ribbon.”
• In 2016, winner Angelina Le of Voorhees submitted a painting titled, “The Price of Freedom.”

“Each year I am in awe of the unique and impressive talent that we have here in South Jersey and this year is no different,” Norcross said. “I believe many of these students will continue creating masterpieces for years to come, and we will even see some famous work coming out of South Jersey in the future.”