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 our congressional district.

The Artistic Discovery Contest is open to all high school students in the 1st District. The over-all winner of our district's competition will be displayed for one year in the U.S. Capitol. The exhibit in Washington will also include artwork from other contest winners nation-wide.

The art work may be:

• Paintings (including oil, acrylics, and watercolor)
• Drawings (including pastels, colored pencil, pencil, charcoal, ink, and markers)
• Collage
• Prints (including lithographs, silkscreen, and block prints)
• Mixed Media
• Computer Generated Art
• Photography

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.
• All artwork must be framed.

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.

If you would like more information please review the 2012 Art Competition Guidelines.

All students interested in participating should complete the Student Information & Release Form and mail/fax it to:

Congressman Bobby L. Rush
ATTN: Congressional Art Competition
700 E. 79th. St.
Chicago, IL 60619-3102

Fax: (773) 224-9624