St. Lucie West Centennial High School Student Wins 21st District Congressional Art Competition

STUART, Fla.- Congressman Brian Mast (FL-21)honored the participants of the 2026 Congressional Art Competition and announced Dayana Salas from St. Lucie West Centennial High School as the winner. The winner was selected by a panel of local judges from the Treasure Coast.

"I'm constantly impressed by our youth's brilliance and talent," said Rep. Mast. "Congratulations to Dayana Salas and thanks to everyone who took part! I'm excited to see your artwork on display in the United States Capitol."

Dayana Salas's work will be displayed alongside the winners from each Congressional district across the country for one year.

The annual Art Competition showcases the artistic abilities of the talented students from the 21st congressional district. This year's competition featured 33 submissions from 13 schools across Martin, St. Lucie, and Palm Beach Counties.

The other finalists were:

• Gianna Pagano, Oxbridge Academy

• Brooklyn Kelly, Martin County High School

Honorable mentions were awarded to:

• Natalia Cazares, John Carroll High School

• Brianne Murray, Visionary School of Arts

• Leah Soesbe, Lindsay School of the Arts

• Diana Karakhanova, St. Lucie West Centennial High School

• Marlee Jones, The Pine School

• Zephyr Hicks, Jupiter Community High School

Every year, the Congressional Art Competition honors the exceptional artistic abilities of high school students from across the country. The goal of the competition is to support and promote the arts, as well as to foster creativity and artistic expression among our nation's youth. The Congressional Art Competition began in 1982, and since that time, more than 700,000 students have taken part.

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