Submit Artwork

About the Competition

Each spring, the Congressional Institute sponsors a nationwide high school visual art competition to recognize and encourage artistic talent in the nation and in each congressional district. Since the competition began in 1982, more than 650,000 high school students have participated.

Students submit entries to their representative’s office, and panels of district artists select the winning entries. The winning works are displayed for one year at the U.S. Capitol.

The competition is open to high school students only. Exceptions may be made for schools that have 7th through 12th grades on one campus.

Artwork must be two-dimensional. Each framed artwork can be no larger than 26” x 26” x 4” (26 inches high, 26 inches wide, and 4 inches deep). If your artwork is selected as the winning piece, it must arrive framed and must still measure no larger than the above maximum dimensions. No framed piece should weigh more than 15 pounds.

Public and private high school students in the 3rd district of MA are encouraged to participate in this year’s Congressional Art Competition. 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

The winner will have their original artwork displayed in the United States Capitol for the following year.

CORONAVIRUS UPDATE

Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the State of Massachusetts’ “stay at home” advisory, my office is transitioning the art competition submissions to a fully digital process. To follow social distancing guidelines, we will not be hosting a reception for the contestants.

Participants should submit a clear digital copy (photograph, scan, etc.) of their original artwork to art.trahan@mail.house.gov and attach all completed forms. The next competition deadline date will be announced later this year.

Please call my office at (978) 459 - 0101 or email Alexandra.Karabatsos@mail.house.gov with any questions.

As you submit your art and forms, please also fill out the application below.

Student Information

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Parent or Guardian Information

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School Information

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Art Teacher Name: *