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Date: 8/4/2021
LONGMEADOW – For an artist, to have their work shown to the public is a special occasion. To have it shown in the United States Capitol, while still a teenager, is a momentous achievement on a whole other level.
A painting from Longmeadow High School Class of 2021 graduate Ellie Gettens netted her an Artistic Discovery Art Award. The Congressional Art Competition invites high school students from across the nation to submit their artwork and one winner is chosen from each congressional district. The contest is sponsored each spring by the Congressional Institute. Since the contest’s inception in 1982, more than 650,000 students have participated. The winning artwork is displayed in the Capitol building for one year.
Longmeadow High School art teacher Hilary Godin turned participation in the contest into a student assignment. Gettens said she had “no idea” that she would win for the Massachusetts 1st Congressional District, which includes Berkshire County and the southern portion of the Pioneer Valley.
Getten’s painting portrayed small boats docked along a pier in Sweden at sunset. Gettens had taken a photo of the scene during a family trip and said that she had always wanted to paint it.
“Ellie’s oil paintings might be diminutive at first glance but on closer inspection, they reveal the vastness of the landscapes she saw on her many travel excursions with family,” Godin told Reminder Publishing. “When discussing her artwork, it is apparent that Ellie is a keen observer of the effects of light on our natural world. Her soft painting style and choice of subjects evoke a sense of serenity – there is a quietness about her work.”
Gettens has a family history of artists. “My grandfather was a painter; taught me everything I know,” she said. She also has an uncle that paints. When painting, Gettens said, “I feel really relaxed. I can kind of escape.”
In the fall, Gettens will be attending Syracuse University to major in environmental engineering. While there, she said, she will continue her artistic development and minor in fine arts, likely focusing on painting.