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Art Competition

See our flier with the latest updates for 2025 HERE. Submission checklist HERE. Submissions must be submitted to astrid.garcia@mail.house.gov by April 21st. 

Each spring, a nationwide 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 and our congressional district.

The Artistic Discovery Contest is open to all high school students in the District, with a limit of eight submissions per school. The overall 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 nationwide.

Artworks entered in the contest may be up to 26” x 26” x 4”, including the frame. The artwork maybe

  • 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 original in concept, design, and execution. No 3-D art will be accepted. 

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 in the nationwide competition.

If you would like to submit an entry application, please fill out a student release form as a PDF and email it to Astrid.Garcia@mail.house.gov along with one picture of the art piece you wish to submit!