From right to left: LHS art teacher Elizabeth Mitchell, student Jenny Lu and U.S. Rep. Richard Neal.
Reminder Publishing photos by Peter Tuohy
LONGMEADOW — A Longmeadow High School student’s artwork is slated to hang on the walls of the U.S. Capitol for the next year after her victory in the 2026 Congressional Art Competition.
U.S. Rep. Richard Neal joined Superintendent Martin O’Shea and Principal Thomas Landers at LHS to celebrate and recognize student Jenny Lu as she showcased her winning piece, titled “Fisherman,” on May 5.
The Congressional Art Competition is a nationwide contest that celebrates the artistic talents of high school students, where U.S. House of Representatives members honor one high school student from each of their districts.
The winning pieces go on display for 11 months in the Cannon Rotunda at the U.S. Capitol, one of the most viewed student art displays in the country and visited by millions, according to the competition’s website. Lu’s work was selected from more than 30 submissions.
“We want to congratulate Jenny,” Neal said. “We want to acknowledge the special role the Longmeadow Public School system has played in enriching this moment for all of us … this artwork is terrific.”
Neal said that athletics and the accomplishments of athletes are recognized often, and that this piece is a great credit to the school’s art department and the staff.
“There’s another convention to our lives, and it’s the role of creativity the artists play, whether it’s a pianist, the cello or a beautiful work of art,” Neal said. “I think the other important consideration, some kinds of notes in the immediacy of the creativity. It’s lasting for all our lives.”
Lu told Reminder Publishing that she started painting when she was in third grade and went on to take art classes all throughout high school.
“Fisherman” is painted with gouache, a water-based paint thicker and more opaque than watercolor. It gives artwork a matte finish and is commonly used for posters, illustrations, comics and commercial design work.
The piece features blue fish strewn across a table while a person cuts one with a cleaver. A person in the background watches on as the fish is cut in half. Lu said her work was inspired by the patterns of fish at the supermarket, and the ideas started flowing from there. She added that her favorite part of the piece is the fish on the cutting board.
Lu said receiving the win is a huge honor and that she is proud of herself. She and other winners from across the country will travel to Washington, D.C., to celebrate and view their artwork in June.
