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 our congressional district.

The Artistic Discovery Contest is open to all high school students. 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 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.

Instructions for Entries

Art works entered in the contest may be up to 28 inches by 28 inches (including the frame) and may be up to 4 inches in depth. 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 be an original in concept, design and execution.

Entries should be shipped (please ensure proper packaging) or dropped off at our Helena District Office at:

Entries must include a completed Student Information Release Form, which may be found here.

All entries must be received by close of business Friday, April 25, 2014.

Congressional Art Competition 2014 Guidelines may be found here.

An Art Submission Checklist may be found here.

The winner will receive two free round-trip air tickets, courtesy of Southwest Airlines, from Spokane, Washington to Washington, D.C. to attend the Congressional Art Competition Reception on Capitol Hill.  Detailed information will be distributed to the overall winner.

All entries will be judged, and a winner will be selected by an independent, non-partisan committee unaffiliated with any Congressional office.

Please note: Contest winner is responsible for costs incurred due to travel to/from Spokane and costs incurred in Washington—including, but not limited to—lodging and meals, car rental, taxi cab/metro fares, luggage fees, and any other expense.

For any questions, please contact our Helena District Office:  (406) 502-1435