WASHINGTON – Marquette resident Keri Thill’s holiday ornament design is representing Michigan’s First Congressional District on this year’s White House Christmas Tree.  U.S. Congressman Bart Stupak (D-Menominee) asked Thill to design an ornament to be included with 369 others from congressional districts across the country currently displayed on the official White House Christmas Tree.

“Keri’s ornament brings a taste of northern Michigan to Washington this holiday season,” Stupak said.  “She is a talented local artist and I am pleased to be able to share her work with my colleagues and the rest of the country.”

The ornament is silver ball with a red, white and blue design to match this year’s White House Christmas theme.  One side of Thill’s design includes outlines of the First Congressional District and the three Great Lakes in the district.  The other side of the ornament shows a bird forming the numeral one to represent the First District.

One artist from each congressional district was invited to design an ornament for the White House Christmas Tree.  Guidelines from the White House stipulated that the ornament should reflect the American spirit of the artist’s district and should complement a red, white and blue color scheme.  The ornaments have been on display since early December on the White House Christmas Tree, an 18-foot Frazier fir located in the Blue Room of the White House.

“It is an honor to have my design displayed on the White House Christmas Tree,” Thill said.  “It’s exciting to know that a piece of northern Michigan is on display in the White House and that I played a part in that.”

Thill, a Marquette native, graduated this month from Northern Michigan University with a bachelor of fine arts in art and design and a concentration in photography.

A display of all ornaments on the White House Christmas Tree by state is available at http://www.whitehouse.gov/holiday/2008/ornamentsbystate/index.html.