PHOTO RELEASE: Rep. McBride Celebrates Young Artists at 2025 Delaware Congressional Art Competition

WILMINGTON, DE -On Tuesday evening, Congresswoman Sarah McBride (D-DE) hosted the 2025 Congressional Art Competition Reception at Wilmington's Bridge Art Gallery to honor Delaware's high school artists and announce this year's winners. The nationwide competition, sponsored annually by the U.S. House of Representatives, recognizes outstanding student artwork from every congressional district across the country. Photos from the event are available for use here.

"Every brushstroke, every photograph, every piece of art we saw tonight is a reminder of what's possible when young people are given the space to be seen, to create, and to lead," said Rep. McBride."Delaware's students have vision, courage, and talent-and it was a joy to celebrate them and their families tonight."

This year's first place winner is Grace Huang, a student at Tower Hill, whose piece will be displayed in the U.S. Capitol for one year alongside other winners from across the country. Second place went to Sofia Corona-Flores, and third place to Aminah Mwangi, both of Cab Calloway School of the Arts. Their artwork will hang in Rep. McBride's Wilmington office for the year.

Rep. McBride with second place winner, Sofia Corona-Flores

Rep. McBride with third place winner, Aminah Mwangi

Twelve students in total were selected as finalists from a pool of 35 submissions. Their artwork-ranging from acrylic paintings to photography-was displayed during the reception and reviewed by a panel of local artists. Families, teachers, and community leaders gathered to celebrate the student artists' creativity, storytelling, and skill.

The event was held at Bridge Art Gallery, a Black-owned community art space in downtown Wilmington that uplifts regional artists and makes art accessible to all through exhibitions, educational programming, and publishing.

Delaware's 2025 Congressional Art Competition Finalists:

• Sawyer Caldwell- Salesianum School - More Than a Sport- Two players helping each other up, Photograph
• Natasha Colman- Cab Calloway School of Arts - Working Man- Portrait of her father, Painting (Acrylic Paint)
• Sofia Corona-Flores- Cab Calloway School of Arts - Green Afternoon- Nature drawing of Hagley Museum, Painting (Acrylic Paint)
• Saniya Dagley- Smyrna High School - Mommy and Me- Mother and daughter touching foreheads, Painting (Acrylic Paint)
• Maria Dominelli- The Tatnall School - Lemons Adrift- Lemons floating in water, Oil Pastels
• Ausim Gravesande- Newark High School - A Piece of My Life- Water droplet with eyeball, Charcoal
• Sean Hargraves- Cab Calloway School of Arts - Autumn's Kettle- Tea pot in nature, Painting (Oil Paint)
• Grace Huang- Tower Hill - Guiding Light- Mother and daughter playing on ocean floor, Painting (Acrylic Paint)
• Yooleun Kim- Cab Calloway School of Arts - Feel the Bare Rhythm, Natural!- Ballet shoes in field, Collage
• Aminah Mwangi- Cab Calloway School of Arts - My Little Brother- Little brother in bright colors, Painting (Acrylic Paint)
• Leonardo Rodriguez- Cab Calloway School of Arts - Pages of Prehistoric Pasts- Letter to parents with Legos, Drawing
• Addison Townsend- Newark Charter School - An Artist Flash Sheet- Multiple self-portraits with tattoo designs, Drawing: Charcoals and Colored Pencils

"In a time when the arts are too often underfunded or overlooked, this competition reminds us that creativity is civic leadership," said Rep. McBride. "Our students aren't just tomorrow's artists-they're today's voices."

Photos from the event are available for use here.

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Delaware's Congresswoman Sarah McBride serves on the House Foreign Affairs Committee and its Subcommittees on Europe and on Oversight & Intelligence, she also serves on the House Space, Science and Technology Committee and its subcommittee on Research and Technology. She serves as a Deputy Whip for Policy in the Democratic Caucus.