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Congressional Art Challenge

Each spring, a nation-wide high school arts competition is sponsored by the Members of the U.S. House of Representatives. The Congressional Art Competition is an opportunity 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 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.

The following is a summary of the Congressional Art Competition rules. Please note the dimension requirements for 2024.

  • Artwork does NOT need to be framed, but it must follow the criteria listed below:
    • Artwork must be two dimensional
    • Each artwork can be no larger than 26 inches high, 26 inches wide, and 4 inches deep.
    • No 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.)
    • Prints: lithographs, silk screen, block prints
    • Mixed Media: use of more than two mediums such as pencil, ink, watercolor, etc.
    • Collages (must be two-dimensional)
    • Computer-generated art
    • Photographs

We recognize that AI (artificial intelligence) has become an integral part of the artistic landscape. As such, we welcome its inclusion in your submissions. However, there are some important considerations:

  1. Authentic Artistic Manipulation: AI-generated works without artistic intervention will not be accepted. We encourage you to use AI meaningfully as part of your creative process.
  2. Original Concepts: If you incorporate AI, ensure that it serves an original concept conceived by you. Whether it enhances your vision, challenges norms, or sparks new ideas, let it be a deliberate choice.
  3. Artist Statements: When submitting your work, acknowledge the role of AI in your artist statement. Share how it contributes to your expression.

Each entry 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).

Please complete the below student release form, print, and attach the form in your email submission

You can find a copy of the student privacy release form and 2024 rules and regulations here

All art submissions should be dropped off at our District Office in Santa Clara, with the application material and privacy release form emailed to yvonne.inciarte@mail.house.gov no later than 5pm on Friday, April 19, 2024

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