Christian Peterson
reporter.riverbendnews@gmail.com
Each year, Florida hosts a competition called Art in the Capitol. According to MyFlorida.com, this voluntary statewide visual arts competition allows each school district to hold an art contest for all students in grades six through eight. A selection committee judges artwork made up of art teachers whose students have not submitted work for the competition. All submitted artwork must adhere to a few simple rules. First, it must not violate any copyright laws and must be completely original in concept, design and execution. The second rule states that the artwork must be two-dimensional and not exceed 28 inches in width, 28 inches in length, or 4 inches in thickness. The third rule requires that the art weighs less than 15 pounds. Finally, the artwork must be framed and include a method for hanging it. Only one submission per school district is sent to the legislator of the respective legislative district. This means that schools must narrow down the entries among their own students before making a final submission to the state. The schedule for the competition began in the fall of 2024 when each school district held its voluntary art competition for students in grades 6 through 8. By Friday, Jan. 3, the districts had to submit the winning student artwork. The exhibit at the Capitol will open on Tuesday, March 4, showcasing the students' artwork. In this most recent competition, Suwannee Middle School student Tatum Westrich stood out with her drawing titled "Bridge over the Suwannee." Her piece captured the hearts and eyes of the judges at home, and her talent earned her the opportunity to have her art displayed at the Capitol building.