Golden welcomes ME-02 winner of Congressional Art Competition
Elden Irish, recent graduate of Rangeley High School, won for a photograph of his grandfather, which will be displayed in the U.S. Capitol for the next year
WASHINGTON — Congressman Jared Golden (ME-02) welcomed the winner of the annual Congressional Art Competition in Maine’s 2nd Congressional District, Elden Irish, to his Washington office Thursday morning. Elden’s original work, a photograph titled “Gramps,” will be displayed in the U.S. Capitol for the next year alongside the winners from other congressional districts.
Elden was born and raised in Rangeley. Having recently graduated from Rangeley High School, Elden plans to attend the Maine College of Art & Design in Portland this coming academic year.
“It was great to meet Elden and welcome him to Washington. Elden is clearly a thoughtful and bright young man, and I can’t wait to see what the future holds for him,” Golden said. “Family is a big deal to me, and it was touching to see Elden honor his grandfather in this way. I look forward to seeing Gramps in the halls of Congress every day and I am glad to know that so many visitors to our Capitol will have a chance to see his work.”
“Irish's photo of ‘Gramps’ stood out prominently for its strong artistic voice and honest depiction of the subject, appearing simple at first but revealing more complexity upon prolonged viewing,” said Gerald Walsh, one of the judges for the competition. “I imagine that Gramps, like this image, gets more complex the more time you spend with him.”
The Maine College of Art and Maine Arts Commission, as well as the National Scholastic Art and Writing Awards, partner each year to choose the winning submissions for the Congressional Art Competition. The competition began in 1982 to help Members of Congress support young artists from districts across the country.
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