Robert Garcia’s Congressional Art Competition

The fourth annual Congressional Art Competition is a contest hosted by one of our United States House of Representatives, Robert Garcia. The competition was open to high school students who demonstrate artistic talent. Additionally, it was revealed that the winning artist will have the opportunity to have their piece displayed in the U.S. Capitol. Furthermore, the winner will be invited to a reception in Washington D.C. to celebrate their successful artwork. On April 30th, 2026, the winning artist was announced to be Kyleigh Tan, a freshman in Mayfair’s Art Academy. There were other representatives of Mayfair earning runner-up positions in this competition, those being Kendyl Gutierrez and Joanne (Jasper) Banez. 

The Windjammer had the opportunity to interview our successful winning artist. In a conducted interview with Kyleigh, she expresses her surprise at winning the contest. “I was actually pretty shocked that I won,” she says. “but I think it opened my eyes and made me realize that I'm capable of reaching my goals which is a very powerful feeling.” When asked about the goals of her artwork, she shares that her piece intends to resonate with many people’s, especially Asians, familial experiences. “The meaning of my art piece is to talk about the way Asian parents don’t know how to share their love verbally or physically,” she explains. “Instead, they cut fruits like apples for their children . . . as a silent apology or words of encouragement.” In Kyleigh’s artwork she has a portrait of a plate of apple slices with different Chinese characters that translate to phrases such as “I love you”, “I’m proud of you”, “I’m sorry”, and “I have high hopes for you.” Additionally, she shares that the plate design is commonly found in Asian households, emphasizing the significance of this piece. Because of the sentiment of this artwork, she can proudly say she accomplished her goal. 

Kyleigh notes that her artwork was a concept brought to life, dating back from around one to two years ago. She officially started working on it in June 2025. She believed that if she did not take action, her idea would never be done. “Even though I was worried that I was way too inexperienced, I grabbed my drawing tablet, hooked it up to my computer, and started my artwork using a software called ‘Clip Studio Paint’,” she says. “This drawing was supposed to just be for fun, and was really close to never being finished.” However, once the congressional art competition was announced, she was motivated to pick up her pencil and start working. She reflects on her art process with finding online references to then become her own personal reference. “I didn’t have an apple, so I cut up an orange to take pictures of,” she describes. “The congressional art competition really pushed me to finish what I started, and to challenge my artistic ability as much as possible.” 

This experience has shaped the way Kyleigh views the value of art. She admires artists that challenged themselves by making meaningful art. “Ever since elementary school, I would look at videos of people showing off their AP drawing portfolios or awards they’ve won,” she states. “Younger me thought that I’d never become like them.” She observes that this rewarding experience taught her that you can achieve anything as long as you put your mind to it. 

The Windjammer queried Kyleigh if she had words of advice for aspiring artists. She shares that you just have to try. “Your biggest enemy is always you and they are the only person holding you back,” she explains. “Art is definitely challenging, but keep working.” Additionally, she reassures those who may feel challenges with pursuing art. “When things get hard, take a break. If you need to start over, then start over,” Kyleigh advises. Moreover, she states, “Like many other things in the world, mistakes are what helps us learn. If we’re so afraid of messing up, we’ll never reach our full potential.” 

We are proud of the accomplishments our Monsoon artists have made. We congratulate Kyleigh Tan, Jasper Banez, and Kendyl Gutierrez for representing Mayfair High School among twenty ranking artists at the Robert Garcia Congressional Art Competition. Furthermore, a big congratulations to Kyleigh for her success. We commend her for the dedication and passion demonstrated in her culturally-rich art piece.

Image Courtesy of Kyleigh Tan.