2026 Congressional 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 in our District. The winning artwork of our district's competition will be displayed for one year in the U.S. Capitol. The exhibit in Washington will include the winning artwork from all participating districts from around the country. The winning artwork is also featured on House.gov's Congressional Art Competition page.
As the nation approaches its 250th anniversary, this milestone is offered as a suggested theme, though other themes are welcome.
The following is a summary of the Congressional Art Competition rules:
Artwork entered in the contest may be up to 28 inches by 28 inches, may be up to 4 inches in depth, and not weigh more than 15 pounds. If your artwork is selected as the winning piece, it must arrive framed and must still measure no larger than the above maximum dimensions.
- Paintings - including oil, acrylics, and watercolor
- Drawings - including pastels, colored pencil, pencil, charcoal, ink, and markers (It is recommended that charcoal and pastel drawings be fixed.)
- Collages - must be two dimensional
- Prints - including lithographs, silkscreen, and block prints
- Mixed Media - use of more than two mediums such as pencil, ink, watercolor, etc.
- Computer-generated art
- Photography
All entries must be original in concept, design and execution and may not violate any 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).
The rules, checklist, and release form for the competition can be found here: House.gov Congressional Art Competition page.
Please be advised that the Artwork and Student release form must be submitted via email to julian.jimenez@mail.house.gov no later than April 24, 2026.
About the Congressional Art Competition Each Congressional office hosts its own competition for high school students in their district using its own criteria. Once a winner is selected, their artwork is displayed for 11 months in the Cannon Tunnel that leads into the U.S. Capitol – a path frequented by Members of Congress, staff, and visitors from around the world. With millions passing by the exhibit each year, it is one of the most-viewed art installations in the country. The Congressional Institute has hosted the Competition since 2009.
Congressional Art Exhibition
Congresswoman Pou will be hosting an event to display all submitted artwork on May 2026.
PLEASE BE AWARE ALL SUBMISSIONS MUST BE READY TO BE WIRE HUNG.
Drop-off times for submitted artwork will be announced at a future date.
For more information, please contact our office.