Art Competition

Dear 7th District High School Students,

Each Spring, Congress sponsors a nationwide Art Competition, and we encourage all interested high school students to participate!

This is the 31st year that members of Congress have sponsored "An Artistic Discovery" throughout their districts and the country. It's my office's goal to showcase your artistic talents, and I greatly look forward to displaying the winning pieces of art in my congressional offices in Washington, Wausau and Superior.

The deadline to submit your artwork is April 27th. For the answers to all of your questions, check out the guidelines and Frequently Asked Questions section below.

Best of luck to you in this contest. Can't wait to see your submissions!

Sincerely,

Congressman Sean Duffy

Click Here to Complete Your Congressional Art Competition Release Form.

2012 Art Competition Guidleines

The competition is open to high school students only.  An exception will be made for schools that have 7th through 12th grade on one campus.  Students must be residents of the 7th Congressional District, which includes all of Douglas, Bayfield, Ashland, Iron, Burnett, Washburn, Sawyer, Price, Lincoln, Polk, Barron, Chippewa, Clark, Taylor, Marathon, Wood and Portage counties and portions of Oneida and Langlade counties.

Artwork must be two-dimensional and must have a wire backing for hanging.  It does NOT need to be framed.

Each piece can be no larger than 28” x 28” x 4” (28 inches high, 28 inches wide, and 4 inches deep), including the frame.  If your artwork is selected as the winning piece, it will be required to be framed and must adhere to the size guidelines.  Artwork cannot weigh more than 15 lbs.

Accepted media for artwork are as follows:
•    Paintings: oil, acrylics, watercolor, etc.
•    Drawings: pastels, colored pencil, pencil, charcoal, ink, markers
•    Collage
•    Prints: lithographs, silkscreen, block prints
•    Mixed Media: use of more than two mediums such as pencil, ink, watercolor, etc.
•    Computer-Generated Art
•    Photography

Artwork categories NOT accepted for this competition include sculpture, jewelry, ceramics, weaving/fabrics, stained glass and 3D artwork.

Each entry must be original in concept, design, and execution and may not violate any U.S. copyright laws.  Any entry that has been copied from an existing photo (other than the student’s own), painting, graphic, advertisement, or any other work produced by another person is a violation of the competition rules and will not be accepted.  Work entered must be in the original medium (that is, not a scanned reproduction of a painting or drawing).

Artwork will hang in the Capitol for the entire year of the exhibition and cannot be returned to the students earlier. Students should, therefore, submit artwork they will not need for other purposes.

A fully completed Student Release Form, signed by both the teacher and the student and a parent if student is under 18, must accompany each entry.

All artwork should be titled and submitted with a 3x5 index card affixed to the back with the following information:

1.    Student's name
2.    School
3.    Grade in school
4.    Teacher's name
5.    Title of the piece
6.    Medium used

Artwork must adhere to the policy of the House Office Building Commission. In accordance with this policy, exhibits depicting subjects of contemporary political controversy or a sensationalistic or gruesome nature are not allowed. It is necessary that all artwork be reviewed by the panel chaired by the Architect of the Capitol and any portion not in consonance with the Commission’s policy will be omitted from the exhibit. The panel will make the final decision regarding the suitability of all artwork for the Congressional Art Competition exhibition in the Capitol.
 

Arts Competition Frequently Asked Questions

How many pieces can students enter?
Each student may enter one piece of artwork.  There is NO limit on how many pieces each SCHOOL is allowed.

How will the piece be returned if the student doesn’t win?
Students will either need to pick up their artwork at our Wausau office or they can schedule to have it returned to them by a staff member WHEN that staff member is in the area (We will not make a special trip).  All artwork submitted will be on display at the Center for Visual Arts through July 12th.  DO NOT submit a piece of artwork you will need for another purpose (i.e. School project, competition)

Who is invited to the reception?
Anyone who enters artwork into the competition will be invited to a reception to be held the afternoon of May 19th at the Center for Visual Arts in Wausau.  Date is subject to change and time is yet to be determined.  Students will be asked to RSVP and may bring whomever they like to the event.  Teachers whose students submit work will also be invited.

Does the artwork need to be framed?
The artwork does NOT need to come to our office framed.  The winning piece will be framed by the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum.  The frame will be returned to the museum at the end of the year.  Your artwork DOES need to have a wire backing for hanging purposes.

What is the People’s Choice Award?
A digital picture of each submitted piece will be put on Congressman Duffy’s Facebook page.  The piece with the greatest number of ‘Likes’ will be named the “People’s Choice” winner.

What are the prizes?
Grand Prize:  Artwork shown in the Capital in Washington D.C. for one year.  The winner and a guest are each given an airline ticket to D.C. for the unveiling ceremony to be held in June.  The winner also can receive a $1,500 scholarship.

First Prize (The Wausau Piece):  Artwork will be hung in our Wausau office

Second Prize (The Superior Piece):  Artwork will be hung in our Superior office

Third Prize (People’s Choice):  Artwork will be hung in our D.C. office

Each participant will be given a certification of participation from Congressman Duffy.

Who is choosing the winner?
A Congressional Art Competition Selection Committee made up of local arts organizations leaders and artists will determine the criteria by which the artwork is judged.  

Can 8th graders participate?
If the 8th grade class is located on the same campus as the high school (for example, a school that is K-12), yes, they may participate.