TAMPA, FL - Out of 105 submissions from Tampa Bay area high school students, Gibbs High School Junior Henry Peter was awarded the top prize at U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor’s annual congressional art competition with the Digital Photography piece “Hurricane Daze”. Henry’s artwork will be featured for one year in the U.S. Capitol alongside other congressional art competition winners from across the country.

"Hurricanes Helene and Milton wreaked havoc and trauma on neighbors across Tampa Bay. Whether you are a homeowner or a high schooler like Henry, these stressful events were incredibly difficult. Henry’s photograph illustrating his parents’ exhaustion as they sorted through their flooded-out home and cleared toppled trees reminds our neighbors not only what we have endured but how strong and resilient we are on the other side as we recover, together. It is more important than ever to invest in the arts. As our planet continues to warm and these stressful events become more frequent, expressing your emotions with art is healthy, therapeutic and critical for our memory and mental health,” said Rep. Castor.

“My parents moved to Florida twenty-six years ago from Minnesota to build a new life for their family. When you move from the Midwest to Florida, you learn how to prepare for Hurricanes – sheltering during the storm and picking up the pieces after. We have always prepared for a storm that would rival them all, and that storm was Hurricane Milton. When the storm passed, we found our home beaten and flooded. Trees toppled, bamboo splinters impaling our house and almost everything we owned was soaked. This photo was at our lowest point, a point we never thought was possible. This photo is a reminder that no matter how prepared you are, how cautious you might be, life can strike you with a thunderous punch any moment,” said Henry Peter.

Henry’s photography journey started when he was eight, taking photos with his grandfather. A Lake Vista resident, Henry credits his success to not only growing up in a family of artists, but to his teacher Brian McAllister at Gibbs High School, who has encouraged him every step of the way.

A photo of Henry’s art can be found here.

St. Petersburg and Tampa are blessed with a broad range of artists and art lovers that provide a substantial economic benefit. The Arts Council and Americans for the Arts demonstrated this recently in their detailed study of the economic impact of nonprofit arts and cultural organizations in Hillsborough and Pinellas Counties. 

The results of the Hillsborough study found that in 2022, arts and culture generated $387.5 million in economic activity, supported 6,764 jobs, and generated more than $76 million in tax revenue to local, state and federal governments.

The results of the Pinellas study found that in 2022, arts and culture generated $294.7 million in economic activity, supported 4,528 jobs, and generated more than $58.9 million in tax revenue to local, state and federal governments. 

Photos of the students' art can be found here.

Photos from the Art Show can be found here.

U.S. Rep. Castor’s annual Congressional Art Competition is an opportunity to celebrate the art and artists of Hillsborough and Pinellas County public and private high school students. The contest features drawings, paintings, photographs and sculptures. This year, 105 entries were submitted to the competition from high school students throughout Hillsborough and Pinellas County and fifty-one were chosen to be displayed in the Tampa Museum of Art. The panel of judges is made up of local artists and experts from the Tampa Museum of Art and Tampa Bay Businesses for Culture and the Arts.