Art Competition
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 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.
2025 Congressional Art Competition
All applications must be physically submitted to our district office (471 E Broad St UNIT 1100, Columbus, OH 43215) and include a completed release form.
The deadline to apply is April 11, 2025.
Questions? Please email: Andrew.Markovich@mail.house.gov
The following is a summary of the Congressional Art Competition rules:
General Information
The rules and regulations included here apply to the 2025 Congressional Art Competition generally. Each Member of Congress may establish additional rules for his or her district competition. Please consult with your Member’s office to verify whether any additional rules apply and how to enter.
The competition is open to high school students. Students should enter the competition in the district they reside, not where they attend school. Members may choose whether to include 7th and 8th grade students in the art competition if schools located in their districts house 7th through 12th grades on one campus. Teachers and/or students should verify their eligibility with the office of the Member of Congress. Artwork must be the creation of a single student. Students may not collaborate on an entry.
Artwork must be two-dimensional. Each submission 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, DC, framed. Even when framed, it must still measure no larger than the above maximum dimensions. No framed 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 (Charcoal and pastel must 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
Each entry must be original in concept, design, and execution and may not violate 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. For more information on copyright laws, we recommend you visit the Scholastic website:
https://www.artandwriting.org/awards/how-to-enter/copyright-plagiarism/ Work entered must be in the original medium (that is, not a scanned reproduction of a painting, drawing, etc.).
Artwork will hang in the Cannon Tunnel for the duration of the exhibition. Students should only submit artwork they will not need for other purposes.
Suitability Guidelines
Artwork must adhere to the policy of the House Office Building Commission (the Commission). In accordance with this policy, exhibits depicting subjects of contemporary political controversy or a sensationalistic or gruesome nature are not allowed. Each Member of Congress will be required to submit a Letter of Support confirming that the Member has determined that the winning artwork adheres to the Commission’s policy. However, if another Member of Congress requests review of any artwork for compliance with the Commission’s policy, the final decision regarding the artwork’s suitability for display will be made by the Commission. While it is not the intent to censor any artwork, we do wish to avoid artwork that is potentially inappropriate for display in this highly travelled area leading to the Capitol.
Student Information and Release Form
Each entrant must submit a Student Information and Release Form. The Student Information and Release Form is available through the office of your Member of Congress.
The information requested on the first page of the form should be provided as thoroughly as possible. Students should include their mailing addresses if they differ from their home addresses. Students should also include contact information that will be valid for several years. (For instance, students, especially seniors, are encouraged to include a personal email address rather than a school email address that will expire at the end of their senior year.)
The form requires a description of the artwork, which should be detailed, clearly identifying the major elements of the work. For example, “self-portrait” or “a picture of two people” would be unacceptable, since many artworks would fit those descriptions. The following is an example of a useful description: “ A painting of two people; the person on the left wears a green sweater and khaki pants; the person on the right wears a black shirt and a striped skirt. A dog sits at their feet.”
The second page of the Student Information and Release Form contains a legal release and a certification that the artwork is original in design and execution. The student, an art teacher, and a parent or guardian must sign where appropriate. Entries without signed originality certifications and artwork releases may not be accepted.
A TYPED copy of the Student Information and Release Form, signed by the teacher, a parent or guardian, and the student, must be securely attached to the back of the artwork to certify the originality of the piece. Please retain a copy for your records..
For all the 2025 Rules and Regulations For Students and Teachers to determine eligibility and next steps, please click HERE.
Questions? Please email: Andrew.Markovich@mail.house.gov