Upon finding out that her artwork was chosen to hang in Missouri’s Capitol for a year, Margaret Manley Schroeder, a fourth grader from Concord, called a family meeting.

“She told us she had ‘big news,’ Matthew Manley, Margaret’s father, said. “She was very excited to get the news from school that her artwork had been chosen by a state senator. She was very honored.”

Margaret’s work, titled “The vines and flowers of love,” was selected by Fourth District Sen. Karla May to represent her senatorial district in this year’s Senate Student Arts Exhibit. “The vines and flowers of love” will be displayed throughout the year in the Capitol alongside artwork chosen by each state senator from a student, aged kindergarten through twelfth grade, living in their respective districts. Though Margaret resides in Concord, she attends Rohan Woods School in Warson Woods, a portion of May’s constituency.

Describing her artwork, Margaret said: “The colors I did for my art project are blue and orange. In the background I used green, yellow and neutral colors. I chose to put flowers, and they were blue and orange. I chose blue vines and some of them were orange.”

To celebrate their artwork being selected, all of the student artists were invited to Jefferson City on April 9 for Fine Arts Education Day. Per Matthew, Margaret had a great time; she also received a medal to commemorate the honor.

“Margaret has made our family and community very proud,” Mark Manley, Margaret’s grandfather, said.