Gillian Acocella's winning portrait of Marilyn Monroe. (Courtesy of Ocean City School District)
Ever since she could pick up a pencil, Gillian Acocella, a sophomore at Ocean City High School, has loved to draw.
Over the years, Acocella’s childhood doodles developed into brilliant works of art, and her charcoal portrait of Marilyn Monroe recently won first place for New Jersey’s 2nd Congressional District in the 2025 Congressional Art Competition.
“I am extremely grateful and proud of myself,” Acocella, 16, said in a news release about winning the competition. “I chose to draw Marilyn Monroe because of her significance to women around the world and the iconic public figure she is.”
As a winner of the competition, Acocella’s artwork will be displayed for a year in the Cannon tunnel within the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, D.C. She also will receive an invitation to join other winners for an in-person lunch reception and award ceremony at the Capitol Building.
The Congressional Art Competition is a nationwide event that recognizes and encourages the artistic talents of high school students. Since it began in 1982, more than 650,000 high school students have been involved with the competition.
“Selected to represent OCHS, Gillian’s artwork obviously stood out among numerous entries and captured the attention of judges with its originality,” OCHS Principal Wendy O’Neal said in the release. “This honor not only reflects her individual brilliance but also highlights the strength of the arts education in our community.”
Students from every congressional district submit a non-copyrighted drawing to their representative’s office. Acocella learned about the competition from her freshman year OCHS art teacher and decided to participate.
“We are so proud of Gillian receiving this well-deserved honor,” Ocean City School District Superintendent Christian Angelillo said. “Her pieces are truly impressive, and her dedication to art is inspiring. The teachers and staff at OCSD will continue to support and encourage her as she pursues her passion.”
Acocella wants to continue studying art after high school and plans to attend the Savannah College of Art and Design.
“Both my mom and my sister are artists,” said Acocella. “I was always surrounded by art growing up and I wanted to make art like them.”
Acocella, who also is a member of the OCHS wind ensemble, prefers to use charcoal because it makes drawings look smooth and soft. In addition, she works with colored pencils and plans on creating pieces with paint.
