Texas Rep Dan Crenshaw’s Art Picks Are In — Art Gallery In The Woodlands Helps Local Students Get Washington D.C. Recognition

A Capitol Win For High School Artists With an Underground Twist

By Laura Landsbaum // Apr 28, 2025

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Best Photo went to Peyton Neumann of The John Cooper School for a photograph of the eclipse. (Photo courtesy of Dan Crenshaw)

Stephanie Hernandez's “A Cowboy’s Solitude” was selected by Congressman Dan Crenshaw to represent TX-02 in the Cannon Tunnel. He said it will stand out because of its colors. (Photo courtesy of Dan Crenshaw)

Congressman Dan Crenshaw carefully studied each of the 52 submitted pieces of art. (Photo by Laura Landsbaum)

Lucy Willis' “Lone Star Spirit” was selected by Congressman Dan Crenshaw as the Most Creative entry. (Photo courtesy of Dan Crenshaw)

The annual Artistic Discovery Contest brings one piece of student art from each congressional district to Washington, D.C. (Photo by Laura Landsbaum)

Senior Jasmine Jalomo won Best 12th Grade for her piece “Grazing in Color.” (Photo courtesy of Dan Crenshaw)

Runner-up for Most Texan was Isabel Martinez of Porter High School. (Photo courtesy of Dan Crenshaw)

Paisley Russell won Best of 10th Grade for her piece “If You Nose, You Nose.” (Photo courtesy of Dan Patrick)

Hana Aoki's “Hangin' On” was selected as Constituent's Choice. Aoki is a repeat winner of the competition. (Photo courtesy of Dan Crenshaw)

It was standing room only at the beloved Ardest Gallery in The Woodlands as Texas Congressman Dan Crenshaw made his rounds, circling rows of student artwork. Crenshaw took on the task of selecting a winner for the annual Congressional Art Competition, where one piece of art from each congressional district is displayed in the U.S. Capitol.

Picking among the 52 artists and their families, Crenshaw carefully selected A Cowboy’s Solitude, a portrait by Porter High School student Stephanie Hernandez, to hang in the Cannon Tunnel. The portrait depicts a TX-02 constituent, which Crenshaw particularly appreciated. Hernandez will fly to Washington, D.C. for the unveiling.

“There’s an underground tunnel that takes us from our offices directly to the Capitol,” Crenshaw explains. “Everybody uses it daily, and it’s lined with 435 pieces of artwork. It looks really cool, and I get to choose our district’s.”

Dan Crenshaw Ardest Congressional Art — Congressman Dan Crenshaw carefully studied each of the 52 submitted pieces of art. (Photo by Laura Landsbaum)

Artistic Standouts

Given the impressive talent on display, Crenshaw also selected winners in several other categories.

The Constituent’s Choice award went to Hana Aoki of Porter High School. Camila Espinoza earned Most Texan honors, while Isabel Martinez, also of Porter High, scored Most Texan Runner-Up.

Peyton Neumann of The John Cooper School won Best Photo. There were two recipients in the Most Creative category: Skylar Tipton from Porter High and Lucy Willis, a homeschooled student.

“Two years ago, when we moved to Texas from Oregon, my dad asked me to paint a piece of Texas art for his office,” Willis says. “He loves the design of the Texas flag, and I like longhorns. When we heard this competition was Texas-themed, it was the perfect piece to enter.”

The event also celebrated top artists from each grade. Emily Bennett took home the ninth grade award, while Paisley Russell earned the 10th grade prize. Yerania Sochil earned recognition for 11th grade, and Jasmine Jalomo claimed the 12th grade title.

The Congressional Art Competition is held each spring, sponsored by members of the U.S. House of Representatives. This contest celebrates the creative talent of students from congressional districts across the country. Since its inception in 1982, it has provided lawmakers a platform to recognize and encourage young artists in their communities.