An Artistic Discovery: The Congressional Art Competition

Each spring, a nation-wide high school arts competition is sponsored by the Members of the U.S. House of Representatives. The Artistic Discovery Contest is an opportunity to recognize and encourage the artistic talent in the nation, as well as in each Congressional District.

The Artistic Discovery Contest is open to all high school students. The over-all winner of each district will be displayed for one year in the U.S. Capitol.

The Congressional Art Competition began in 1982 to provide an opportunity for members of Congress to encourage and recognize the artistic talents of their young constituents. Since then, over 650,000 high school students have been involved with the nationwide competition.

All entries must meet the following criteria:

• Be two dimensional
• Be no larger than 28 inches wide by 28 inches tall by 4 inches thick
• Not weigh more than 15 pounds
• Be original in concept, design, and execution and may not violate any U.S. copyright laws.

Entry guidelines and an information/release form for the 2012 competition are available below: 

2012 Artistic Discovery Guidelines

2012 Artistic Discovery Release Form