COEUR d'ALENE - A young Coeur d'Alene woman has been declared the winner of the 2014 Congressional Art Contest in Idaho's 1st Con-gressional District.

Mercedes Rennison, 18, will have the honor of flying to Washington, D.C., this June for the unveiling of her masterpiece, "Rising War Cry," which will hang in the United States Capitol for a year.

"I'm really excited," she said. "I can't stop smiling about it. It's kind of surreal."

Her winning piece, which consists of textured paper, fabric strips and ink, was part of a portfolio assignment where students had to complete 12 art projects and explore different media while creating them.

"Rising War Cry" began with a photograph Mercedes took of a horse and rider at the Julyamsh Powwow last summer. She collaged the paper and fabric on another piece of paper and drew the image on top with a pen. Mercedes said she chose those specific pieces to match the Native American quality of the work.

"I've always really been interested with Native American culture," she said. "I'm really into the history of it, and the mythology that they have as their legends."

The Coeur d'Alene Charter Academy senior is dual-enrolled at Coeur d'Alene High School, where she attends Terri Leonard's advanced placement studio art class.

"She's worked really hard in this class, and got special permission from Charter to take the class at CHS," said Mercedes' mom Jennifer. "It's a lot of work."

"I really wanted to take the class and I'm really appreciative they let me do it because I want to go into an art field," she said. "The growth during that class was insane, looking at work I did last year and this year. It's really stimulated me because it challenged me."

Mercedes was also recently accepted into the Digipen Institute of Technology in Redmond, Wash., where she will pursue an education in digital animation.

Coming in third place in the Congressional Art Competition was CHS junior Sydney Croteau, who is also in the AP studio art class. Her piece consists of a face set behind brightly colored butterflies.

"In my opinion, nature is one of the most important aspects of life and a major part of the world that needs to be protected in order to preserve its vibrant beauty and health," she said. "In my piece, titled 'Mother Nature,' I capture the beauty and innocence of nature by illustrating a portrait of a young girl and using the symbolism of butterflies."

A third CHS student is being honored for her artistic accomplishments. Senior Cailyn Knudtsen received first place in the state from the Ladies Auxiliary of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Patriotic Art Competition. Her artwork is now representing Idaho as it competes against art from all 50 states at nationals. Her piece shows a young boy hugging a female soldier in front of an American flag and an enlarged, vertical dollar showing the words "In God we Trust."

"The United States was built under the guidance of one divine. And this one being is still who we as Americans, over 200 years later, look to for guidance," she said. "This was the inspiration behind my patriotic illustration that I titled, 'In God we Trust.' As children, our parents are like God. We look to them for guidance, for help, and for protection. However, the mother in this picture is more than just that. She is a soldier. She is fighting not just for her son's protection, but also for the protection and safety of every American. She fights for everything this great nation was built for: liberty, freedom, justice and the American dream. She looks to only one for her salvation and protection. she looks to the one in which this great nation was built under. And only in Him, will she and every American unconditionally trust."