GREENVILLE - Perhaps when you have inherited a spiritual gift, it becomes an arduous task to deny its existence.
Although Jesse Hughes Jr. did not come right out and say so, it became unmistakably clear that this 16-year-old Greenwood High School sophomore is something special. He had that glow about him - not so much the arrogance, but a contented resolve to achieve a perceived artistic goal.
Art came quite easily to Hughes, who took brush to canvas at the tender age of 7 years old. The evolution of his art has been nothing short of stunning.
Hughes, the son of Jesse and Phyllis Hughes, is an adolescent who is mature far beyond his years. He says he is able to conceptualize an image, give it texture, and create an alluring visual - whether in watercolors, pastels, pen and ink, or oils.
"For me," Hughes said, "art is realism, being able to bring a subject to life. I have this talent, but if you do not develop it, you are wasting what God gave you."
And Hughes, who dresses in starched white shirts and subdued ties, doesn't consider himself some kind of teenage anomaly because he chooses not to adorn the garish garb of so-called hip hop culture.
"Everybody wants to fit in," Hughes said. "But I want to be unique, yet different in a positive way. I refuse to let peer pressure dictate what I will do with my life."
So many times our youth are unfairly maligned by some segments of society as not willing to live up to the established ideals of success.
From where I sit in the Mississippi Delta, I see the criticism of teenagers - although there are some social warts - as being crafted from a mostly uninformed experience.
Because you see, the Mississippi Delta's best and brightest are ready to shine on the broader stage of achievement.
In fact, Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., who hosted the annual Second Congressional District Art Competition on behalf of the Congressional Arts Council, noted that if Delta youth are given a fair opportunity, they can indeed compete effectively on a heightened creative plane.
"This is an excellent opportunity to show your talent," Thompson said. "I encourage all of our young people to get involved, because so many of you have so much talent.
"But it is up to us to make sure that this talent is developed," Thompson added.
An indication of that shining light came into view on Monday in the cafeteria on the Greenville campus of Greenville-Weston High School for the finalists of the Second Congressional District Art Competition.
There were contestants from 11 high schools from across the Mississippi Delta, who had entered artwork that reflected the human mosaic of this indigenous area of America.
While the artistic competition was quite formidable, Hughes appeared to be unmoved as he surveyed the more than two dozen framed works adorning the glass-enclosed room.
Hughes had submitted five works, which ranged from a portrait of President Abraham Lincoln to outdoor scenes. And he exuded a quiet, if not humble confidence, that he would capture the coveted first-place trophy in the competition.
"This is not my best stuff, because all of the good ones have already been sold," Hughes said. "What I brought here, I wanted to see where it stacked up against the other kids. I take my art seriously because I can win when I want to."
In the middle of a sentence, Hughes interrupted his commentary and noted a group of people, which included Thompson, who had gathered around his five submissions.
"See what I am saying," Hughes beamed, pointing over to the group. "My work gets a lot of attention, especially from people who have not seen it before."
Even before the winners were announced, one of the judges came over to where Hughes was sitting and congratulated the Greenwood teenager on his superb artistic interpretations.
The final result wasn't close. Hughes won first place for a stylish pencil sketch of a sterling silver creamer titled "Pure Elegance," which kind of epitomized his work.
"I wasn't surprised at all, because I expected to win," he said. "I feel good that my work will show a good side of the Delta."
Now Hughes' winning art work will be on display in the Rotunda of the nation's Capitol for the next year, and he will be in competition with 434 other congressional art winners - the first-place winner receiving a one-week, all-expenses-paid trip to Washington.
But it was not all about winning, because these Delta high school students displayed a determined artistic ethic so easily overlooked, which highlights a continued creative spirit present in the region.
Jesse Hughes Jr. was simply one of the bright spokes in this developing spectrum that has always been the Delta.
