Each spring, high school students from across the country are invited to participate in the Congressional Art Competition, sponsored by Members of the U.S. House of Representatives. The competition provides a unique opportunity to recognize the artistic talent of high school students from my Congressional District and to showcase their creative works.

A panel of judges will be tasked with carefully evaluating each piece and selecting the overall winner whose work will be displayed for one year in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C. The runner-up, third place, and People’s Choice award-winning artwork will be displayed in my district office, located in Worthington.

Requirements

Artwork must be two-dimensional. Each framed artwork can be no larger than 26 inches high, 26 inches wide, and 4 inches deep. If your artwork is selected as the winning piece, it must arrive in Washington, DC, framed. Even when framed, it must still measure no larger than the above maximum dimensions. 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, silkscreen, 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.

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 on the annual Congressional Art Competition, please submit the below form.