LEGACY ART STUDENTS
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and Shine Legacy art students Erica Papp ’22 and Cortlyn Plunk ’23 are the latest visual artists to bring home honors from the Congressional Art Competition, a nationwide event that encourages artistic creativity in high schoolers. Since its launch, in 1982, more than 650,000 high school students have participated.
Earlier this year, Erica and Cortlyn competed with students
piece was toys mainly used for children, but when I saw those
from other private schools and from public schools, along with
shoes, I fell in love. As a child, I always adored ballet even
homeschooled students, in the 26th Congressional District,
though I was not and still am not flexible or graceful enough to
represented by Cong. Michael Burgess, MD. Erica’s entry was
be a ballerina myself. Through this piece, I was able to bring to
awarded “Best of School,” as the favorite submitted by Legacy
life my childhood dream.”
students, and Cortlyn’s entry received “Juror’s Choice for Creativity,” a discretionary award presented by jurist Sharon Warwick in recognition of artistic merit.
Mrs. Blackburn says she received numerous comments from friends and colleagues who were impressed by Erica’s piece. In fact, she says, “Erica was approached by a buyer
Anne Blackburn, a Legacy art teacher, says she was impressed
who saw it on the Congressional Art Competition page and
by the unique angle and lighting considerations Erica
wanted to purchase the artwork for his daughter, who dances
implemented in her drawing, titled Le debut D’une Ballerine. At
professionally.”
18"x24", this is the largest piece — and the one that required the most time and effort to create — that Erica had attempted.
Cortlyn Plunk received her award for a watercolor she titled A Vintage Still Life. Mrs. Blackburn encouraged Cortlyn to tackle
“I was ultimately inspired by a pair of ballet shoes I used as a
a watercolor in order to achieve the particular style she was
practice sketch one day,” she says. “The original plan for this
looking for, despite the fact that watercolor is not her usual
LEGACY CHRISTIAN ACADEMY
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