As Jesenia Solis shows her art portfolio to prospective employers around the Waukegan area, she has one piece, “Distortion,” to show, which has a home through next spring that few people can claim.

“Distortion” is one of 435 works of art hanging in the tunnel connecting the Cannon House Office Building in Washington, D.C., to the U.S. Capitol, where members of the U.S. House of Representatives and others working there see it when Congress is in session.

An image of a bird bisecting a winged angel — two of Solis’ favorite things — drawn with charcoal pencil earned Solis the top prize in the 2025 Congressional Art Contest for high school students in the 10th Congressional District.

Solis, a 2025 Waukegan High School graduate, became the fourth Waukegan student in the last five years to ea

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