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 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 with the nation-wide competition. The Artistic Discovery Contest is an opportunity to recognize and encourage the artistic talent in the nation, as well as in our congressional district.
Requirements
Artwork must be two-dimensional. Each framed artwork can be no larger than 26 inches high, 26 inches wide, and 4 inches deep. If your artwork is selected as the winning piece, it must arrive in Washington, D.C. framed. Even when framed, it must still measure no larger than the above maximum dimensions. No framed piece should weigh more than 15 pounds.
Students must email merry.holland@mail.house.gov signaling their intention to participate in the Congressional Art Competition by April 12th, 2024. Please include items 1-5 below in your email signaling your intention to participate.
- Picture of student’s artwork
- Paragraph explaining piece
- Brief student bio
- 2024 Art Competition fully completed application (not having all signatures will disqualify you).
- In subject line: student’s name and title of piece (ex: Merry Holland - Summer’s night).
- Drop your artwork off at the Franklin office on Friday 4/19. The address is 305 Public Square Suite 212, Franklin, TN 37064.
- Watch for email for invitation to reception and art show.
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 submission deadline is Friday, April 19th, 2024, by 5:00pm CT. Please send a picture of your artwork and release form to merry.holland@mail.house.gov. Your artwork will not be considered unless a release form accompanies the photo. Here is the link to the release form.
The winner of the Congressional Art Competition will receive:
- His or her artwork displayed in the U.S. Capitol for one year.
- The winning student will receive scholarship opportunities.
For additional information, please contact the office by phone at (629) 223-6050 or by email at merry.holland@mail.house.gov.
Private School students, please verify that you live in TN-07 before submitting artwork. You can do so by going to this link to confirm your Representative. You can still participate, but you will have to submit your artwork to your home district representative. Dates and deadline may be different, so please see their website for details.
