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 Artistic Discovery 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. Winners are recognized both in their district and at an annual awards ceremony in Washington, DC. The winning works are displayed for one year at the U.S. Capitol.
Here locally, the Congressional Art Competition is open to all high school students, grades 9-12, who either reside or attend school in Southwest Washington’s 3rd Congressional District.
The winner of the competition will have his or her artwork displayed for one year in Washington, DC’s U.S. Capitol Building Corridor. The winner will also receive free airfare for themselves and one guest to attend the June ribbon-cutting ceremony in Washington, DC.
Deadline for art submissions is April 18, 2016. Participants should submit completed entries to [email protected].
To be eligible, the actual art must be two-dimensional, framed, and can be no larger than 28”x28”x4 (28 inches high, 28 inches wide, and 4 inches deep). Artwork cannot weigh more than 15 pounds.
Artwork must be original in concept, design and execution.
Artwork accepted mediums are as follows:
• Paintings: oil, acrylics, watercolor, etc.
• Drawings: pastels, colored pencil, pencil, charcoal, ink, markers
• Collage
• Prints: lithographs, silkscreen, block prints
• Mixed Media: use of more than two mediums such as pencil, ink, watercolor, etc.
• Computer-generated art
• Photography
Entries will be evaluated by a blue ribbon panel of judges from Southwest Washington’s 3rd Congressional District. Second and third place entries will be displayed in Congresswoman Herrera Beutler’s district office over the next year.
For complete details and guidelines, students and education leaders should visit the 3rd Congressional District Art Competition website or call Congresswoman Herrera Beutler’s office at (360) 695-6292.
