Some of the region’s most talented young artists recently exhibited their works in an art competition held at City of Hope, with the winning image heading to the nation’s Capitol for display.

For the past six years, Rep. Hilda Solis, who represents the local area in Congress, has held the Artistic Discovery Competition in different communities throughout her congressional district. This year the competition was held at City of Hope’s Duarte, Calif., campus.

The Artistic Discovery Competition, which encourages students to nourish their artistic tendencies, attracted 186 entries from students from 16 area high schools. They showcased their work before a crowd of more than 300 people at Cooper Auditorium.

The winner of the competition, Arroyo High School student Jose Curial, won a trip to Washington, D.C., for a reception and the chance to see his artwork hanging in the halls of Congress, where it will be displayed for one year.

“I am proud to support the artistic talents of our local youth and thank them for sharing their gifts with everyone,” said Solis. “This year’s art competition was the most successful to date.”

Solis also recognized City of Hope for hosting the arts competition and singled out Kristen Pugh, vice president of government and community affairs, and Elizabeth Bagwell, community relations manager, for serving on the Artistic Discovery Planning Committee and assuring the event’s success.