Swartz Creek Student’s Artwork Will be Displayed in Washington DC

A drawing by Swartz Creek High School senior McKenna Marsh has won first place in the annual Congressional Art Competition and will be on display in the nation’s capital for the next year.

McKenna's drawing is featured below.

Artwork from congressional districts throughout the US is displayed in the Cannon Tunnel, which connects the Cannon House Office Building to the U.S. Capitol. Roughly 1,000 people pass through the tunnel each day.

Marsh, who classifies herself as a typical teenager, likes video games, cats, and of course art. She created the drawing titled ‘Justice’ for her friend Justice, whose band ‘The Lemon Collies’ was looking for unique artwork to use as an album cover. She readily volunteered to create the charcoal drawing, noting that she spent 15 or 16 hours on the project over the course of one month.

In an interview with Cars 108, McKenna noted that art teacher Matthew McDonald encouraged her to enter the contest and that it was a “total surprise” when she got the call from Congressman Dan Kildee that she had won first place.

Marsh, whose family lives in Gaines, will fly to Washington DC in June for a ribbon cutting reception when the artwork is put on display.

“It was a great ‘mom moment’ in my life, something I’ll never forget” her mother Cyndee Marsh told me, speaking about receiving the call from Kildee’s office. “She’s worked very hard the past several years on her artwork. She’s a self-taught artist, so it’s truly a God-given gift she’s been given and my husband and I couldn’t be more proud of her.”