In the News

Catch them while you can. The San Diego entries from the 2017 Congressional Art Competition will be on display at the San Diego Watercolor Society Gallery in Liberty Station through Thursday. San Diego high school students created the 61 artworks, which include paintings, drawings, prints, mixed media, computer-generated art and photography.

“San Diego is home to museums and public art that define the cultural fabric of our city and add character to our shared spaces,” said Rep. Scott Peters, D-San Diego, who began the competition in his 52nd District in 2013. “This exhibit is the perfect way to celebrate the talent and creativity of the next generation of local artists, and foster a lifelong love of the arts.”

After the exhibit, a winning piece chosen by a panel of local judges will be sent to Washington, D.C., where it will hang in the U.S. Capitol for one year.

A “Fan Favorite” winner chosen by a social media contest will hang in Peters’ San Diego District Office. The remaining submissions will be returned to the students. The San Diego Watercolor Society Gallery is open Wednesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.A controversial award-winning painting that depicts police officers as animals was removed Friday morning from a congressional wall by Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Alpine, following complaints that it was offensive.

The 35-year-old student art competition was the subject of unexpected controversy earlier this year, when Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Alpine, removed one of the 2016 winners from a congressional wall following complaints that it was offensive.

The painting, called “Untitled #1,” shows a clash between police officers and protesters. Artist David Pulphus, who was a senior at Cardinal Ritter College Preparatory High School in St. Louis, Mo., painted one gun-wielding police officer with what appears to be a boar’s head. One protester was painted with the head of what could be a panther or a wolf.

Rep. William Lacy Clay, the Missouri Democrat who sponsored Pulphus’ competition, has filed a lawsuit in federal court on behalf of the student artist.