Big win for PHS art student

 

PHOENIX – Phoenix High junior Talula Heckendorf was recently named the winner of the OR-02’s 2025 Congressional Art Competition and had a second drawing also recognized among the top four, adding to the Pirates’ CAC legacy.

Heckendorf’s “Man Walking Through an Alaskan Town,” drawn with pencil and charcoal, was voted the top piece out of 38 submissions and secured for Heckendorf a trip to Washington D.C., where her work will be displayed among others in the national student art exhibit in the U.S. Capitol. She also drew “The Colorful Desert with Huge Cacti,” which earned regional recognition.

The winning creation was selected by a panel of five judges who, according to a press release by U.S. Rep. Cliff Bentz’s office, praised the piece as having “great depth, detail and perspective.”

“I am pleased to congratulate Talula on this terrific achievement,” Congressman Bentz said. “I look forward to seeing ‘Man Walking Through an Alaskan Town’ each day over the upcoming year, as I walk to and from the House Chamber. I thank her for her incredible work. Congratulations, Talula!”

Heckendorf’s win represents another impressive achievement for Jessica Rollins’ highly acclaimed PHS art program. Under the tutelage of the school’s fine arts instructor, five Pirates have won the Congressional Art Competition and more than 10 have earned regional honors. PHS swept the competition in 2023 and had three of the four regional winners in 2021.

Heckendorf said she found out via a phone call from Rep. Bentz’s office on April 30. 

“I was pretty shocked,” she said. “But it was just like, whoa! …It’s an amazing thing.”

Heckendorf, who said she has been drawing since kindergarten, said the winning piece depicts her cousin doing exactly what the title suggests – walking through a small town in Alaska.

“I wanted to highlight him as the main subject,” she said, “from the folds and contrast in the jacket to his pants and his shoes, and then obviously the floor is detailed from the wood.”

Nailing the details in the foot and the buildings in the background took hours to get right. 

“The intricate details to get it exact from the picture was very hard,” she said.

When asked what advice she would give young artists just getting started, Heckendorf said confidence is key.

“They really need to believe in themselves because there can be a lot of critics out there pointing fingers at you saying, ‘What is this?,’” she said. “Drawing every day is a big thing. Practice, practice. And if you want to go outside, do a little doodle of a tree, over time you can just build your skills.”

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For more information about the Phoenix High art program visit its website at www.phoenixhsart.com or email Rollins at jessica.rollins@phoenix.k12.or.us.