On Tuesday, March 10, Representative Chellie Pingree called Gorham High School personally to announce that GHS senior Claudette Wesse has been named the first place winner of the 2026 Congressional Art Competition for Maine’s 1st District. Claudette’s winning piece, “Blissful Innocence,” is heading to Washington, D.C., and will hang in the U.S. Capitol Cannon Tunnel for the next 11 months.
In an email, Claudette described her inspiration for her artwork: “This painting is inspired by and dedicated to my younger brother, Henschel Wesse. It is titled ‘Blissful Innocence’ because it depicts both of us when we were younger, in a state of perpetual happiness due to our childhood innocence and unawareness of life’s complexities. This piece is meant to imitate a child’s thought process and mentality through vibrant, unusual color schemes and elements of a child’s drawing, such as the smiley face, sun in the corner, and stick figures.”
Claudette explained, “The flowers represent how we grow in age and our understanding that the present moment is precious. This painting evokes nostalgia along with its self-destructive quality, as it often becomes a crippling force that prevents us from appreciating the gift of the present. The past cannot be replicated nor changed, but we can reflect on it, learn from mistakes, and grow from memories and experiences. We move forward, we grow, and that’s the natural way of life. We should enjoy every moment of it and not take it for granted.”
Claudette’s art teachers have been a great influence on her artwork and her life. “Ms. Cousins and Ms. West, my art teachers in Gorham Middle School, created a safe space for me, especially since I was new to the Gorham community and was incredibly introverted. The majority of my time in middle school was spent in their art rooms, during actual class, my lunch time, and WIN period, any chance I had to be in their room, I’d take it. They really helped me become more confident in myself and my abilities in art. At GHS, Mr. Crosby and Ms. Dolley have been great sources of encouragement in my art, whether it be helping me think outside the box, brainstorming, or doing fun projects. They have helped me with lending me materials to take home and work on pieces, and providing more art opportunities.”
GHS art teacher Sarah Dolley described the process for this competition. “For students to qualify for a Congressional recognition they needed to first submit artwork to the Scholastic Arts Competition and place. Claudette received a Silver Key for her submission of ‘Blissful Innocence.’ Local judges then ranked all of the artwork that placed in Scholastic in Maine and Claudette won first place for our region.”
Claudette also has artwork on display at the Maine College of Art & Design, and another piece at the Portland Museum of Art for Youth Art Month. Both pieces are currently on view just doors down from each other on Congress Street in Portland. In addition, Claudette is the editor of the 2026 GHS yearbook.