Art Competition

Montana's Congressional Art Competition

A bronze statue of great Montana artist Charles Marion Russell can be found in Statuary Hall in the U.S. Capitol Building. A testament to the artistic tradition that all Montanans can be proud of, it is no surprise that a place as rugged and beautiful as Montana inspires great art from those lucky enough to call it home. Every year, an amateur Montana artist is chosen to join C.M. Russell as a representative of Montana's artistic roots. Each Spring, the House of Representatives holds the Congressional Art Competition which recognizes the outstanding artwork of one high school student from each congressional district by displaying their work in the Cannon Tunnel in the U.S. Capitol. It is my honor to invite any high school student residing in Montana to enter this contest in 2012.

 
Awards:

Grand Prize

• Art will hang in the Cannon Tunnel, a pedestrian walkway leading to the United States Capitol, for one year. This walkway is frequented by Members of Congress, staff and the general public as they enter the Capitol Building and provides an opportunity for tens of thousands to enjoy the artistic talents of young artists.
• Artist and one accompanying adult will be invited to Washington, D.C. to attend the Ribbon Cutting Ceremony/Reception in June, 2012.

First Place

• Art will hang in Congressman Denny Rehberg’s Washington, D.C. office for one year

Honorable Mentions

• Artwork of exceptional quality may hang in a district office of Congressman Denny Rehberg. District offices are located in Billings, Missoula, Helena and Great Falls.

All Entries

• All appropriate entries will be published on the official web site of Congressman Denny Rehberg with the artist's name, school and city (unless requested otherwise).

Rules & Guidelines:

• The competition is open to students enrolled in a Montana high school (or home-school equivalents).
• All artwork must be 2-dimensional and may not exceed 28 inches by 28 inches and 4 inches deep. Measurements include the frame.
• All entries must be received by Friday, April 27, 2012. There are no exceptions.
• Winning artwork must be delivered to Washington and be ready for display by Thursday, May 24, 2012. The artwork will hang in the Capitol for the entire year of the exhibition and cannot be returned to the student before the end of this period. Therefore, students should submit only artwork that they will not need for other purposes.
• Each student may enter as many pieces as they would like.
• Artwork must be original in concept, design and execution and my not violate any U.S. copyright laws. Any entry that has been reproduced from an existing photo, painting, graphic, advertisement or any other work produced by another person will not be accepted.
• All artwork must be framed. With the exception of oil paintings, all frames must have Plexiglas or glass protection.  Framing should not be made of plastic, because it is not strong enough when attached to wire. Also, attach two hooks to the frame for hanging purposes.
• Acceptable artwork categories include: paintings (oil, acrylics, watercolor, etc.), drawings (pastels, colored pencil, pencil, charcoal, ink, markers, etc.), collage (must be two-dimensional), prints (lithographs, silkscreen, block prints, etc.), mixed media, computer generated art and photography.
• If it is not immediately clear please mark on the back which side is the top. Place a label on the back of the piece, in legible handwriting, the name and mailing address for return purposes.
• Finalists will be selected and artists will be contacted to confirm information and ensure that artwork fits the criteria and is available for display.
• Among finalists, a grand prize, first place and honorable mentions will be selected. These artists will be contacted about shipping their art and other arrangements will be made at this time.

How to Enter

• To enter, email a picture of the artwork with the artist's name, address, phone number, email address, high school, and art teacher's name, and the 2012 Congressional Art Competition Student Information & Release Form (pdf) in one email to philip.maguire@mail.house.gov. Digital pictures (preferred) must be less than 1 megabyte, however, printed pictures can be mailed or hand-delivered to any district office. Please do not mail artwork to my Washington, D.C. office as security measures will significantly delay delivery.
• By entering, contestants are 1) acknowledging that the artwork is their own creation, 2) ensuring they are currently enrolled in high school in Montana, 3) granting permission for their artwork to be posted on Congressman Denny Rehberg's official web site with their name, high school and city.