Michigan teen's artwork to be displayed in D.C. after winning Congressional Art Competition
Sophia Juviler from Howell, Michigan, will be heading to Washington, D.C., in June to see her artwork on display in Congress.
"[Art is] almost like a therapy for me," she said.
Juviler recently graduated from Howell High School. Her pencil drawing, titled "Ethereal," won first place in Michigan's Congressional Art Competition. She tells CBS News Detroit that her art teacher, Mr. Etheridge, saw her pieces' potential.
"My art teacher, he pulled me aside and he was like 'This piece, you have to submit to the Congressional Art Competition,'" she said.
Juviler said her piece took her about eight one-hour class periods to complete. Sculptures at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Detroit Institute of Arts inspired her drawing.
But pencil and paper aren't even her favorite ways to create. She also likes oil painting.
Juviler's mother, Natalie Juliver, said she has encouraged the teen to practice her art, but it also runs in the family.
"She comes from a long line of artists; her great-grandfather on both sides were artists," Natalie Juliver said.
Earlier this year, her artwork was recognized as a winner at a ceremony in Lansing. Over the summer, she will get to see her artwork and the works of other students from across the country placed in congressional buildings.
Her piece will hang in the Cannon House Office Building.
"We're going to see all the other work, and I'm really excited to see, you know, all the other winners," she said.
