Press Releases

Pocono Summit, PA – U.S. Representative Matt Cartwright (PA-08) today announced that Danielle Banfield, who recently graduated from Pocono Mountain West High School, was selected as the winner of the 2020 Congressional Art Competition in the Eighth Congressional District of Pennsylvania.

Danielle’s photograph, titled Music Lifts Us, celebrates the positive impact music has on our mood. It depicts a balloon floating in midair, wearing headphones. Danielle’s work will be displayed in the U.S. Capitol for one year, along with pieces by the winners from other Congressional districts across the country.

“I wanted to capture a bright image of the anthropomorphized object that pops through the use of high contrast to create a fun and uplifting vibe! Music does lift us up out of turmoil; I feel like we are the lightest when we listen to music,” said Banfield of her photograph.

“Many of us have turned to the arts for comfort during this difficult time, and Danielle’s photograph truly conveys a message of hope and positivity. I’m thrilled to have it on display on Capitol Hill,” Cartwright said. “I look forward to the Congressional Art Competition every year and enjoy seeing how talented our young people are. I’m proud of Danielle and of all our student artists who had the courage to submit their art for critique.”

Danielle’s photograph was chosen from a competitive field of 51 pieces of art submitted by 34 students from 13 different schools across the Eighth Congressional District. While Danielle’s work will go to the Capitol, the second place, third place and honorable mention winners will be displayed in Cartwright’s Scranton District Office for one year. The other students recognized include Paige McConlogue from Scranton High School (second place), Keyana Lopez from the Social Fabric Collective and GAR High School (third place), and Sophia Tattersall from the Social Fabric Collective and Greater Nanticoke Area High School (honorable mention).

Background

Each spring, the House of Representatives holds a nationwide art competition for high school students. The winner of each district’s competition is displayed for one year in Washington, D.C.