Orrville student’s art to be displayed at U.S. Capitol
Ella Wallace, right, got a visit to her Orrville home recently from U.S. Rep. Max Miller after her win in the 2024 Congressional Art Competition for Ohio’s 7th District. Wallace’s piece “Take Me Back,” depicting her younger self, will be displayed for one year at the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C. alongside winners from congressional districts from across the country.
Ella Wallace is an artist who could double as a digital camera. That’s how lifelike the Orrville High School senior-to-be creates things. Or nearly so.
“Ella is far beyond her years in her creative ability and thought processes as well as her ideas,” said Matt Ramseyer, Wallace’s art teacher at Orrville. “She all the time creates things that are beyond her years. Her ability to draw, render and add value to a realistic image makes her work look just incredible.”
Wallace was named earlier this month as a winner of the 2024 Congressional Art Competition for Ohio’s 7th District. Wallace submitted the piece “Take Me Back,” depicting her younger self.
“Bright and skilled young people like Ella make Ohio’s 7th Congressional District a better place,” said U.S. Rep. Max Miller, whose congressional district represents Medina and Wayne counties, as well as parts of Holmes and Cuyahoga counties. “Congratulations (to) Ella for winning this year’s Congressional art competition and thanks to the many gifted young people who participated.”
The winning artwork, made using colored pencils, represents innocence and the desire to go back to simpler times. Wallace said she has done pieces like “Take Me Back” because of a certain nostalgia she feels for days gone by in her young life.
“I’ve been creating a bunch of pieces that created that feeling, and I’ve been trying to connect with my younger self,” she said. “I have great memories of my younger life.”
With the win Wallace’s art will be displayed for one year at the United States Capitol building in Washington, D.C. alongside winners from congressional districts from across the country.
Wallace received notification of the honor when Miller showed up at her house to inform her of the honor.
“It was definitely very interesting,” Wallace said. “It was a surprise. I didn’t know he was coming. I was shocked.”
Wallace will take a GPA above 4.0 into her senior year. She said she would like to continue her pursuit of art beyond high school but has no idea yet what that might entail or where she would do it.
Ramseyer said Wallace has won numerous awards for her work this year including a Gold Key honor at the Scholastic Art + Writing Awards, North Central Ohio Division, hosted by Stark State University. Her work was recognized nationally at Carnegie Hall in New York City. Most recently, one of her pieces received the Best in Show at the Wayne County Art Show.
“Ella is an amazing artist with an incredible talent,” Orrville Principal Tim Adams said. “She has a passion for her art. She is very soft-spoken, but her art speaks for her.”
Wallace just wrapped up her junior year at Orrville, where she plays singles on the Red Riders girls tennis team. She also participates in the Earth Science Club, yearbook and is a member of the National Honor Society. Away from school she volunteers at her church and is an active member of the Youth Fellowship program.
“She’s a great kid,” Ramseyer said. “I’ve been teaching for 15 years and have never had a student like her that everything she creates is 100% out of her head. She doesn’t copy anything. Her strong suit, she would tell you, is colored pencils. But she can really do it all.”