10 minute read
Sketched Memories
KylieBlu Santiago stood shocked in front of a large group of people as she just learned that her piece titled, “A Father’s Love” was selected for the top prize in the Ninth Congressional District Art Competition. Emotional cheers from her family rang through the room at the Western Caballeros Museum in Wickenburg as KylieBlu’s graphite sketch was unveiled as the first place winner during the ceremony. In addition to the top prize, she received the People’s Choice Award from Paul Gosar, United States Congressman from the 9th district. Still in shock, KylieBlu was asked to give a speech about the creation of the piece that was a portrait sketch of her and her father, Ivan, from her childhood.
“I was crying the whole time. I was very embarrassed as I did not know I had to give a speech,” said KylieBlu. It was true emotion and through tears she shared how happy she was to be chosen and how truly grateful she was to get to share her art with so many people.
The Congressional Art Competition celebrates the enormous talent and cultural contributions of high school students. KylieBlu’s artwork was chosen out of thousands of submissions. This annual contest, first started in 1982 and with over 650,000 participants since, recognizes the best art of the year from high school students. Students submit entries to their representative’s office, and panels of congressional district artists select the winning entries.
Winners are recognized both locally in their district and are invited to attend the annual awards ceremony in Washington, D.C. Their artwork will be displayed for one year on the wall in the walkway from the Cannon House Office Building to the United States Capitol.
She was surprised by the feedback she received during the ceremony including the reception about her artwork from Congressman Gosar.
“He said the sketch reminded him of himself and his daughter, whom he is very close with, as he was raising her as a young father,” shared Santiago.
The award-winning piece was done for her Advanced Placement (AP) art portfolio in Erika Adelman’s AP Studio
Art class at Valley Vista High School during her senior year in 2022-2023. It was one of 12 original pieces of art needed to fulfill the assignment, which asks the sustained investigation question - how can memories become a moment?
The AP portfolio goes over inquiry, investigation, practice, experimentation, revision, communication, and reflection about the student’s artwork. It’s a very intense and rigorous course where students create a portfolio centered around a sustained investigation and central idea. While students are working with a specific theme they are also working with different materials, processes, and ideas. Students produce works of art and design by practicing, experimenting, and revising throughout the year. KylieBlu went through a series of childhood photos as a possible subject for one of the pieces. A photo of her and her father at her 4th birthday party stood out.
“I chose the photo of me and my Dad to reflect back on my past and more my childhood memories and just see if I could bring some of those moments back to life,” said KylieBlu. “I’ve always been a Daddy’s girl but recently as I’ve gotten older, we’ve come across some challenges in our relationship. I wanted to pick a picture that shows the love I have for him and demonstrated how pure things were.”
KylieBlu has been interested in art since she was young and began drawing at the age of four. Her dad is also an artist and really fostered her love for art and inspired her creative side. He often would take her to his tattoo appointments.
“I went to all of his appointments since I was really little. Tattooing is so intriguing to me, to be able to put art on skin is just crazy.”
KylieBlu became serious about her artistic passion in high school and took advanced art classes at Valley Vista High School. She also became an apprentice at Royalty Tattoo studio in Phoenix at the age of 16 when a family friend offered to mentor her.
“The whole shop took me in and once I hit the one year mark I was able to take in my own clients.”
She started line work on artificial skin to get experience and gave her first tattoo to a fellow artist in the shop last summer.
“It’s really hard to control the tattoo gun at first but my colleague guided me along as I was tattooing him,” said Santiago.
She is continually learning at the studio and has taken walk-in clients for smaller tattoos as she continues to hone her craft. She recently completed her first large arm piece on her mom, which was a traditional Geisha tattoo.
“It’s so beautiful, it’s really one of my favorite pieces.”
Building upon her confidence with the help of talented artists around her and with the encouragement from her father and teacher, she plans to become a full time tattoo artist after the completion of the apprenticeship.
The artwork for her portrait piece from her childhood photo took about three weeks from start to finish and she worked on it daily in class with the help of Mrs. Adelman.
“I spent a lot of time working with KylieBlu on her portfolio that involved capturing moments of childhood. The photo of her and her father was very special to her, because it reminded her of when things were just more simple. As she was facing graduation and the unknown future, she felt comfort in going back to some of those simple moments in her memories,” said Adelman.
After KylieBlu submitted her AP portfolio, Mrs. Adelman encouraged her to submit the sketch of her and her father at the school art competition and the Congressional Arts Competition.
“Her piece was gorgeous, she captured the detail and emotions beautifully and we celebrated it daily in class as she was creating it,” said Mrs. Adelman.
KylieBlu was skeptical about entering the portrait into both competitions.
“I didn’t even think it was that good when I finished it. As an artist you are never really happy with your work but I changed my mind when I learned so many people were touched by it,” said KylieBlu.
After winning the Principal’s Choice award at Valley Vista High School, many people reached out and complimented her artwork.
“Even thinking about it being a possibility of winning, I never thought I would be able to do anything like this or have the opportunity to do so. Along with the mentorship at the shop, the encouragement from my Dad and Mrs. Adelman pushed me to be the artist I am today. They all really believed in me and let me express my art in any way.”
“I definitely had tears in my eyes when her name and artwork were revealed. I always say that the way to an art teacher’s heart is to see their students feel pride in the work they’ve done. My art teacher’s heart was full that day KylieBlu won the Congressional award,” said Adelman.
As part of the Congressional recognition, KylieBlu received a $2,000 scholarship to Mohave College, two reserved seats at the Congressional Arts Awards ceremony and flights to Washington DC.
KylieBlu’s artwork, along with student artists from across the nation, will hang in the Cannon Tunnel of the U.S. Capitol for one year. The tunnel is the most highly traveled access point between the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Capitol. Every day, Members of Congress, visitors, and thousands of tourists walk through the tunnel and admire the artwork.
“To be able to share my art and know that the President of the United States will be able to walk in the hallway and see my piece, it is mind blowing,” said KylieBlu.
KylieBlu took her mother and her boyfriend to Washington D.C. in June to attend the ceremony and see her work, “A Father’s Love,” displayed in the capitol along with rows of student artwork as part of the Congressional Art Competition exhibition.
They took a tour of the national monuments, watched a slide show about American history and participated in a luncheon with the honored student artists from around the country.
KylieBlu was particularly inspired by the fellow artists they were able to see the Congressional District Art exhibition at the capitol.
“There were so many different mediums in the artwork from students in different states. All of the pieces are so inspiring. There were portraits, photos, and acrylics. It really reiterated that no matter what your story is or what your purpose is for your art, as long as you are inspired and motivated you can really get far.”
Having the recognition for her piece that represented a special moment between her and her father made them both reflect on their bond.
“The portrait showed my Dad that I appreciate him and how we’ve grown in our relationship. It was good for both of us to almost recreate the moment and see it again in a new light by working on the portrait. He’s always nurtured my art and I think that is another reason why I chose that photo. It showed him I appreciate the motivation he provides me, the skill that he’s taught to me, and to look within myself to create more,” said Santiago.
KylieBlu was also touched by the support of her art teacher who created a positive environment for her to learn and grow in her art throughout the creation of her AP portfolio.
“I do treasure being a part of the students’ journey. High school is such a small blip in a lifetime and it’s an honor to be on their paths even for just a year or two. It feels good to know that we’re sending students off into the world who have the confidence and skills to carry them forward and grow,” said Adelman.
“We are kind of taking part in history by having our artwork at the capitol. Just to think how many presidents, congressmen, and important people who stood where I stood in [Washington, D.C.] and for my art to be placed there, it is just great I was a part of it,” said KylieBlu.
KylieBlu’s future plans are to take a few prerequisite classes with the scholarship she earned from the Congressional award and to study art and business with the goal to open her own tattoo shop one day.
She’s also looking to explore different mediums including painting acrylics and would like to participate in more art competitions and attend tattoo conventions to put her name out there.
“This experience really pushed me to be the artist I am today. To be able to share my art with a lot of people at the capitol and to show the relationship between parents and their children. Throughout the process of creating the portrait of my Dad and I, I hope it showed how realism can just touch someone’s heart. You can see the happiness pop out in the picture, and I really wanted to encapsulate
