*WomanYou may not understand it right now, but you will one day. This is no longer about a painting. It never was. Because a painting isn't just about brush strokes on a canvas. It's a thousand words of history condensed on to a canvas. It's stronger than any sonnet or monument commissioned by dull administrators. It contains the greatest prize that humanity can give; it shows us the artist's mind and vision in ways that cannot be explained any other way.
When Dawn wins she will know that this was no longer about who painted the best palm trees in four hours. It was about defeating cronyism. It was about sticking it to the Man*. And when it gets to your birthday and she comes in to the room wearing that Spider-Man costume with the frilly nipple tassels that glow in the dark. Then you too will understand that this was never about the painting.