SAN FERNANDO, Calif. (KNX) — A San Fernando teenager’s artwork now hangs in the U.S. House of Representatives in Washington, D.C., after she won a prestigious art contest using paint supplies from a dollar store.
Danella Vigil said the pressure she felt to grow up too quickly inspired her art.
“We were raised to help our brothers, help around the house, cook, and clean,” Vigil, one of four siblings, said. “Basically become a mother figure.
”Now living in the U.S. with her grandmother for the chance to pursue an excellent education, Vigil’s mom and dad are in El Salvador. She attends Mission High School in San Fernando.
“I don’t think it’s right. Every child deserves to have their own childhood. They deserve to play in the playground, instead of cooking and watching the kids. I feel like it’s deserved,” she continued.
That feeling prompted her painting. A piece called “In Youth We Trust” depicts a Latina teen wearing a veil while cradling a teddy bear.
“The way she is holding it, as if it were her child, it brings back the maturity that is pushed upon her,” the young artist explained.
She didn’t break the bank to explore her passion. The supplies she used matched her budget, she said. She shopped at Walmart, Five Below, or Dollar Tree.
After winning the school district’s art contest, Danella’s principal encouraged her to enter the Congressional art competition.
The painting now hangs in the halls of Congress for at least the next year. She visited the Capitol last month after graduation and hopes her art inspires others.
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