Rep. Jayer Williamson (District 3) last week announced the winners of his 2022 legislative session “Why I Love Northwest Florida” art competition from over 60 entries submitted by students attending schools from schools located across House District 3.
This year Williamson and his staff selected Ryleigh Watts, a first-grade student at Holley-Navarre Primary School as the first-place winner in the primary division and Alexia Miller, a second-grade student at Pea Ridge Elementary runner-up.
Claire Pennell, a fifth-grader at Jay Elementary, was selected as the first-place winner for the intermediate division. Abagail Verstrate, a fifth-grader at Pea Ridge, was chosen as the runner-up for the division.
“Each year, I am more and more amazed by the talent of our students here in the district, and this year’s winners are no exception. Their artwork demonstrates what great pride they take in our community. I can only hope that one day they look back, and it inspires a future endeavor in public service,” Williamson said.
In its fourth year, Williamson established the “Why I Love Northwest Florida” art competition to increase interest in civics and state government through the visual arts among elementary-aged students. Entries are submitted by Kindergarten through second-grade students enter into the primary category, and students in the third through fifth grades compete in the intermediate division.
Entries include drawings and paintings depicting their favorite attribute of Northwest Florida. The first-place winning pieces are showcased in Williamson’s Tallahassee office, located in the Capitol. Artwork produced by the runner-ups will be on display at his District office located in Pace.
“My goal with the art competition was to develop and support programming that nurtures an interest in civic engagement. Using the visual arts as a platform, we can encourage our youngest citizens to express themselves in a way that is meaningful to them while fostering an interest in our state government,” Williamson said.
