SPRINGFIELD — A portrait of the late Queen Elizabeth created by a Roger L. Putnam Vocational Technical Academy student will be displayed in the Capitol in Washington DC for the next year.

U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal (D-Springfield) announced on May 26 that Daniel Griffin, a senior at Putnam, will represent the congressional district as part of the 2023 Congressional Art Competition.

As noted on the website for the United States House of Representatives. “Each spring, the Congressional Institute sponsors a nationwide high school visual art competition to recognize and encourage artistic talent in the nation and in each congressional district. Since the Artistic Discovery competition began in 1982, more than 650,000 high school students have participated.

Students submit entries to their representative’s office, and panels of district artists select the winning entries. Winners are recognized both in their district and at an annual awards ceremony in Washington, D.C. The winning works are displayed for one year at the U.S. Capitol.”

Neal said at the announcement, “I always take great pride looking at the art of my constituent [in the Capitol].”

Griffin said to Reminder Publishing, he was thankful for the honor and added, “It is still a shock to me.”
The pencil drawing of the queen came about as an assignment from art teacher Karen Whitney who asked her students to create art surrounding the passing of the queen.

Griffin said he has loved drawing his entire life and decided to create a portrait that showed how the queen looked much earlier in her reign.