BROOKLYN - More than 70 students from across Brooklyn gathered yesterday to compete in this year's 10th Congressional District High School Arts Competition hosted by Representative Edolphus Towns in conjunction with the Brooklyn Arts Council.  First place winning "Cousins", by Victory Collegiate High School 9th grader Halima Shehu from the Canarsie section of Brooklyn, has been selected to represent the district in a national exhibition in the halls of Congress for a year.  She will also be invited to eat lunch with Rep. Towns at his Washington, D.C. office.

"I am deeply honored to host this exciting event, said Rep. Towns.  "The competition is a fantastic opportunity for all students, especially those from schools without formal art education programs, to showcase their talents and best work."

Mandy Huang of Brooklyn Technical High School, won second place with "Desire for Indulgence", a delightful photograph of her younger brother eating a cupcake.  Third place winner was a self portrait by Yucheng Chen from Brooklyn High School of the Arts.

Ella Weiss, Executive Director of the Brooklyn Arts Council, effused, "As this Competition continues to grow every year, it will continue to remind us that art is a critical component of our children's' education.  The artwork in this gallery collectively represents the extraordinary talents of our young people as well as our community's commitment to helping them develop creatively."

"In running the Competition the past two years, it was really a delight to see how the students have all clearly grown in their artistic maturity and skills, said Jonathan Noble, district legislative director for Rep. Towns.

The exhibition will be on display in the Main Lobby at the Museum of Contemporary African Diasporan Arts, located at 80 Hanson Place in Downtown Brooklyn through May 17th.

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