Every spring, Congressman Forbes conducts an annual art competition for high school students.  The Congressional Arts Competition, “An Artistic Discovery,” began in 1982, with nearly 5,000 local contests across the country being conducted every year, involving more than 650,000 high school students. 

Through this competition, one student from Virginia’s 4th Congressional District will have the unique opportunity to have their artwork showcased at our Nation’s Capitol, alongside the likes of other student artists from across the country.  Winners are invited to Capitol Hill to meet Congressman Forbes and attend the annual unveiling ceremony.

Acceptable Artwork Categories
-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


"Infinitesimal" by E. Milena Jaimes Ayala
2009 Congressional Arts Competition Winner

Application Information

• The following Student Release Form is necessary for application: Student Release Form
• For the flyer advertising the Art Competition sponsored by Congressman Forbes, click here. 
• For a full list of 2010 Art Competition Guidelines, click here.