Washington, D.C.--Congressman Eliot Engel (D-NY-17) is announcing that the 2010 Congressional Art Competition for students grades 9-12, which recognizes the talents of our nation’s youth and promotes learning through creativity and artistic exploration, is underway and invites students from across the district in the Bronx, Rockland and Westchester Counties to enter.

“This is a wonderful opportunity for our nation’s youth to explore the value of art and interpretation in a democratic society,” said Rep, Engel. “The students who submitted artwork for the competition last year set a high standard that I am sure this year’s students will meet.”

The winner from a 17th District high school will have their work displayed in the United States Capitol from June 17th 2010- May 2011, along with the winners from all other Congressional Districts.

The Congressional Art Competition is an opportunity for members of Congress to encourage and recognize the artistic talents of their young constituents. Over 650,000 high school students have been involved with the nationwide competition.

Rep. Engel asks each high school to encourage students to participate by e-mailing a picture of the entry to engelartcompetition@mail.house.gov no later than April 1, 2010. The works will then be assessed by a panel of judges, consisting of local artists and members of the art community, and four entries will be chosen to move on to the final judging where the winner will be selected.

The first place winner will be announced at May 1st at an Arts Forum Town Hall, and three other pieces will be selected to hang at Congressman Engel’s District Offices in Riverdale, West Nyack and Mt. Vernon. The first-place piece will then be sent to the Capitol by May 17, 2010 for processing. Should the selected student apply and be accepted to the Savannah College of Art and Design, they will be eligible to receive an annual $1,500 scholarship.

On June 17, the winner, along with their families, will be invited to Washington to partake in a reception with other winners from across the nation. They will be able to see their artwork displayed in the Capitol, and meet with Rep. Engel.

Any further questions regarding the competition, dates, or guidelines should be directed to Travis Osen-Foss in Rep. Engel’s Washington, DC office (202) 225-2464. Further information can be found at http://engel.house.gov/.

The Guidelines for entering artwork are as follows:

Artwork

• Must be two dimensional
• Including the frame, the piece cannot be larger than 28”x28”x 4” and cannot weight more than 15 lbs.
• Each entry must be original in concept, design, and execution and may not violate any U.S. copyright laws. Any entry which has been reproduced from an existing photo (not 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.
• Must arrive in Washington by May 17th 2010 for inclusion in exhibition
• Will hang in the Capitol for an entire year cannot be returned to students earlier. Students should, therefore, submit artwork they will not need for other purposes.

Accepted mediums are as follows:

• Paintings: oil, acrylics, watercolor etc.
• Drawings: pastels, colored pencil, pencil, charcoal, ink, markers
• Collage: must be 2 dimensional
• Prints: lithographs, silkscreen, block prints
• Mixed Media: use of more than two mediums such as pencil, ink, watercolor, etc
• Computer-generated art
• Photography

The final decision regarding the suitability of all artwork for the 2010 Congressional Art Competition exhibition in the Capitol will be made by a panel of qualified persons chaired by the Architect of the Capitol. 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.

Framing Guidelines

• Artwork must be framed and by glass (plexiglass preferred) and packed accordingly to ensure no breakage during the shipping process
• Matting cannot enhance or detract from a work and should be carefully prepared
• Use sturdy picture hangers on the back of the frame. Two sturdy eye hooks should be attached at the top right and left sides of the back of the work for hanging in order to prevent the work from leaning forward or hanging unevenly. Do not put wire between the hooks for hanging; these will be added when the artwork is hung in the Capitol.
• Do not attach labels, ribbons, etc. to the front of the piece or underneath the glass or Plexiglass.

Label
The back of the artwork must include a label with the following information:

• Student Name, Address, and Phone no.
• Title
• Medium
• Member’s Name
• State and District

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