A student artist from rural Eastern Oregon will soon see her work hanging in one of the most recognized buildings in the country after winning Oregon’s Second Congressional District art competition for 2026.
Cliff Bentz announced Thursday that Burns High School junior Yi-jia Lu, who also goes by Lyra Lu, earned top honors in this year’s Congressional Art Competition with her colored pencil piece titled Still, She Rises. Her artwork was selected from what organizers described as a record number of submissions from high school students throughout Oregon’s sprawling Second District.
Over the next year, Lu’s artwork will be displayed inside the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C., where members of Congress, staff, visitors, and thousands of tourists pass through daily. The annual national exhibit has become one of the most visible student art showcases in the country, offering young artists an opportunity rarely available at the high school level.
According to Bentz’s office, a five-member judging panel selected Lu’s entry after praising the piece as “beautifully executed and quite powerful.” The drawing blends patriotic imagery with deeply personal symbolism, combining the face of a woman with the Statue of Liberty, an eagle, and fading city structures intended to represent evolving ideas of freedom and identity in America.
In a statement describing her inspiration, Lu explained that she wanted the artwork to explore patriotism and liberty in a quieter, more reflective way. She said the piece was designed to show that freedom is not always dramatic or obvious, but instead can exist internally within individuals and communities. She described the fading imagery in the artwork as representing how freedom can feel uncertain or change over time while still remaining present.
Bentz congratulated the young artist and said he looks forward to seeing the piece displayed throughout the coming year as lawmakers move through the Capitol for debates and votes on national issues. He also thanked the judges who volunteered their time to review submissions and help organize the competition.
In addition to the overall winner, Bentz announced three regional winners whose artwork will be displayed in congressional offices located in Medford, Ontario, and Washington, D.C. The selected pieces include The Pillars that Built a Nation from a senior at Phoenix High School, To My Great-Grandfather May He Rest from another Phoenix High School senior, and Two Promises from a senior attending Crater High School.
The Congressional Art Competition has operated nationwide since 1982 and was created to encourage artistic education and recognize student creativity across the country. More than 700,000 high school students have participated in the program over the past four decades, making it one of the largest student art initiatives in the United States.
For communities across Oregon, especially smaller towns and rural school districts, programs like the Congressional Art Competition provide students with an opportunity to gain statewide and national recognition that might otherwise be difficult to achieve. This year’s results also highlighted the growing artistic talent emerging from Southern and Eastern Oregon schools, where students continue to compete on a national stage despite limited resources compared to larger metropolitan districts.
Additional information about the competition and photographs of the winning artwork are available through Congressman Bentz’s official website.