Redwood City, CA – After hosting an impressive exhibit of artistic talent in the community, U.S. Rep. Kevin Mullin announced a high school student focused on raising awareness about gun violence in America as the winner of the 2024 Congressional Art Competition for California’s 15th Congressional District.
Last week, Rep. Mullin (CA-15) and San Mateo County Executive Mike Callagy welcomed participating artists and their families to San Mateo County Center where three winners were announced after their work was showcased at the courthouse and judged by a panel of experts in the community.
Burlingame High School senior Lauren Cheng earned first place for her work “646”, which will be flown to Washington D.C. and hung in the Capitol Building. Her graphic design work included meticulously laying out 646 dots around the words “Please. No more dots” to represent the number of mass shootings that were recorded by the Gun Violence Archive in America in 2022.
“Lauren’s art sends a powerful message about the work we need to do as a nation to address the gun violence epidemic in America and I’m proud that it will be displayed at the Capitol for lawmakers to see over the next year,” Rep. Mullin said. “It is a chilling reminder of the lives we continue to lose, and I am moved by students like Lauren who are pleading for action.”
Lauren Cheng has also been recognized as a 2024 U.S. Presidential Scholar, a distinction earned by just 161 out of 3.5 million high school students, and only 20 of whom were selected for a focus on the arts.
“My anxiety around gun violence, specifically at schools, motivated me to advocate through design,” Cheng said. “My ‘646’ poster encourages viewers to visualize, reflect, engage in conversations and, ultimately, act to bring about change. At the U.S. Capitol, I hope my piece serves as a reminder to politicians and the public that gun violence is a persistent issue in our country that must be addressed.”
The annual art competition is hosted in the spring by members of the U.S. House of Representatives, with the winner of each participating district earning the unique honor of having their work shown in the Capitol for a year. Jiahe Jin, an 11th grade student at Carlmont High School, earned second place for her work “Golden Hour,” and Jiajie Zhong, a 9th grade student from Redwood City, earned third place for a family-inspired work titled “Six of Us.”
“While we often focus on the importance of STEM in education, it’s also important not to lose sight of the value arts and humanities play in the development of our students,” Rep. Mullin said. “All of the students in this year’s competition displayed incredible talent and ideas.”
