Art Competition
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.
Each spring, a nationwide high school arts competition is sponsored by the Members of the U.S. House of Representatives to recognize and encourage the artistic talent in the nation, as well as in our congressional district. The Congressional Art Competition is open to all high school students in the First Congressional District of South Carolina.
The overall winning piece of artwork from the First District's competition will be displayed for one year in the U.S. Capitol. The exhibit in the Capitol will also include artwork from other contest winners nationwide.
The winning student from within the First District and one parent/guardian will be flown to Washington this summer by Southwest Airlines, free of charge, to attend a reception and the unveiling of their artwork in the Capitol.
2015's Winning Submission
When preparing for the Congressional Art Competition, please consult the following checklist. This will ensure that the Congressional Art Competition staff will accept the artwork. Please review the official rules and regulations for more information.
- All artwork must be framed according to the appropriate framing guidelines, listed below. Unframed submissions will not be considered for the competition.
- Artwork must conform to these restrictions:
- Artwork must be two dimensional
- Each framed artwork can be no larger than 28” x 28” x 4” (28 inches high, 28 inches wide, and 4 inches deep) including the frame.
- No framed piece should weigh more than 15 pounds.
- Accepted mediums for the two-dimensional artwork are as follows:
- Paintings: oil, acrylics, watercolor, etc.
- Drawings: colored pencil, pencil, ink, marker, pastels, charcoal (It is recommended that charcoal and pastel drawings be fixed.)
- Collages: must be two dimensional
- Prints: lithographs, silk screen, block prints
- Mixed Media: use of more than two mediums such as pencil, ink, watercolor, etc.
- Computer-generated art
- Photographs
- Each entry must be original in concept, design, and execution and may not violate U.S. copyright laws. Any entry that has been copied from an existing photo or image (including a painting, graphic, or advertisement), that was created by someone other than the student is a violation of the competition rules and will not be accepted.
- Work entered must be in the original medium (that is, not a scanned reproduction of a painting or drawing).
How to Enter the Competition
All entries, accompanied by the permission form below, must be received by Congressman Sanford’s office in Mount Pleasant or Beaufort by April 29, 2016. Entries may be shipped or delivered in-person to the addresses below:
Office of the Honorable Mark Sanford
Art Competition
530 Johnnie Dodds Boulevard, Suite 201
Mount Pleasant, SC 29464
OR
Office of the Honorable Mark Sanford
Art Competition
710 Boundary Street, Suite 1D
Beaufort, SC 29902
To enter, students MUST complete the form below, print it, have it signed, and submit it along with their entry.