27th Annual Congressional Art Competition
Congressional Art Competition
An Artistic Discovery
Each year, Members of Congress hold contests within their districts to choose winning pieces of art by high school students to be displayed in the Cannon Tunnel of the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, DC. This impressive art exhibit brightens the Cannon Tunnel and showcases the talent of our nation’s young people. As the former director of a youth leadership program in San Diego, I know that young people are often the most thoughtful and creative members of our community. This event offers a national platform for displaying that creativity, so I encourage high school students with all artistic backgrounds from the 53rd Congressional District to participate. The winning student will be invited to Washington, DC for the ribbon-cutting ceremony, and will have his or her artwork displayed in the Cannon Tunnel for one year.
Important Dates
The 2008 Congressional Art Competition has concluded. This year’s winner was from the Multimedia and Visual Arts School (MVAS) at Crawford Educational Complex. Congratulations!
Students who are interested in participating in the 2009 Congressional Art Competition should check this web page in early 2009 where the art guidelines and deadlines will be posted. For more information, you may also call my district office at (619) 280-5353.
General Guidelines
- The competition is open to high school students only. Exceptions will be made for schools that have 7th through 12th grades in one building. Each Member office can choose whether or not to include 7th and 8th grades in the art show if there are schools in their district that fit these criteria.
- Artwork categories are as follows:
- Paintings: oil, acrylics, watercolor, etc.
- Drawings: pastels, colored pencil, pencil, charcoal, ink, markers
- Collage: must be two-dimensional
- Prints: lithographs, silkscreen, block prints
- Mixed media: use of more than two mediums such as pencil, ink, etc.
- Computer generated art
- Photography
Student Release Form
A copy of the Student Release Form, signed by both the teacher and the student, must be attached to the artwork to certify the originality of the piece:
Student Information/Release Form (pdf)