Pearl River Central student's art headed to national display

POPLARVILLE – Kayla Lee, a junior at Pearl River Central High School, won Best of Show in the Fourth Congressional District Arts Competition, an honor that will lead to thousands of people seeing her work.Lee’s drawing, entitled “Tidal Pool,” will hang for the next year in the U.S. Capitol tunnel, along with the top artwork from the other 434 Congressional districts.”I think it”s amazing,” Lee said after receiving the award from Congressman Gene Taylor on Friday, May 7, at Pearl River Community College. “I”m just really excited about having it hanging in Washington, D.C., and thousands of people seeing it.”More than 650,000 high school students have entered the Congressional Art Competition since it began in 1982.Lee and her family – parents Jason and Lisa Lee and younger sister, Alyssa Lee – will be flown to Washington courtesy of Southwest Airlines for a June 17 reception. The artwork will be on display beginning May 28.Fourteen schools and 159 students took part in the Fourth District competition. Winners are:Painting – Kayla Locke of West Jones High School, first; Roxanne Breland of West Jones, second; John Strickland of Petal High School, third; and Brittney Randall of Petal, honorable mention.Prints – Selinda Lindsey of Perry Central High School, first; Lauren Chadwell of West Jones, second; Justin Hill of Perry Central, third; and Kaylene Smith of Pearl River Central, honorable mention.Computer-generated art – Cassidy Parker of Perry Central, first.Drawing – Kayla Lee of Pearl River Central, first; Sofia Tent of Pearl River Central, second; Sable Hubbard of Oak Grove High School, third; and Shelby Terry of West Jones, honorable mention.Collage – Amber Klem of Petal, first; Boyde Fairley of Perry Central, second; Haley Fairley of Perry Central, third; and Bethany Dyess of Petal, honorable mention.Mixed media – Matthew Smith, first; Jacob Weatherford, second; Haley Padgett, third; and Garth Breland, honorable mention. All are from Perry Central.Photography – Laura Sigrest of Perry Central, first; Megan Bourne of Columbia High School, second; Charles Bucciantini of Hattiesburg High School, third; and Ronald Diaz of Hattiesburg, honorable mention.