A La Center High School freshman will soon see her artwork hanging in Washington, D.C., after winning the 2026 Congressional Art Competition for Washington’s 3rd Congressional District.
Eunice Sparks earned first place in the annual competition, hosted through the office of U.S. Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, with her acrylic-on-canvas painting “Helens in the Lens.” The piece depicts a person holding a camera toward Mount St. Helens, with the mountain prominently reflected in the lens.
The annual competition is open to high school students throughout Southwest Washington. Entries are judged anonymously, with all identifying information removed before the selection process.
Margene Rivara, a member of the Clark County Arts Commission representing La Center, helped organize local judging efforts. Rivara has also encouraged Sparks’ artistic development through community arts projects. Rivara said she did not know which artwork belonged to Sparks during judging.
Sparks’ winning artwork has already been sent to Washington, D.C., where it will be displayed alongside winning entries from congressional districts across the country. Sparks and her family will also travel to the nation’s capital for a recognition event on June 25.
She said the idea for the painting came after struggling to decide what best represented Southwest Washington.
“I couldn’t really think of anything, and just the first thing that came to mind was Mount St. Helens since I knew its history,” Eunice Sparks said. “I wanted to paint it, but it changed a lot (from) when I started the idea.”
Sparks said she and her family later took a trip to Mount St. Helens during spring break to gather reference photos while she raced to finish the project before the submission deadline.
“It is the spring break, and we just decided we’re gonna go to Mount St. Helens because we just needed the idea quickly because I was running short on time,” she said. “That was like the first week of April, so I had 20 days left.”
Sparks’ artwork has attracted attention from local artists and arts organizations in La Center. As an eighth-grader, she helped paint a student-led mural, unveiled in May 2025, with support from the La Center Arts Council. She has also volunteered at the local art fair, offering face-painting for attendees.
Her mother, Lintha Sparks, said art has been a constant in Eunice’s life since childhood and has encouraged her to pursue her interests.
Lintha Sparks characterizes her daughter as soft-spoken and reserved, though her art-making process reveals a deep, focused resolve.
“I think that’s one of the reasons why Margene was drawn to her, because she reminded her a lot of (herself),” Lintha Sparks said. “A lot of the artists seem to be the introvert type.”
For ‘Helens in the Lens,’ Eunice repainted major sections several times to refine the proportions and composition.
“I usually start with a sketch, not a super neat one, and this one was a little different cause I changed the idea halfway through painting,” Eunice Sparks said.
Euince Sparks said she was surprised to learn she had won after participating in the congressional competition for the first time.
“It was unexpected. I was excited, happy,” she said.
Lintha Sparks said the family initially viewed the contest as a learning experience for Eunice rather than a likely victory.
“We’re like, ‘Hey, you know, just do your best, it’s your first time, there’s always next year, just have fun,’” she laughed. “…She never competed before, so we didn’t think she would just sweep it like that.”
Sparks said she plans to continue pursuing art and hopes to build a career in a creative field.
