Every year, Members of the U.S. House of Representatives hold an art competition to recognize and celebrate the artistic talents of high school students from each congressional district. The winning artwork from each district is displayed in the U.S. Capitol for one year alongside winners from across our country. It is also featured on House.gov’s Congressional Art Competition page.
The following is a summary of the Congressional Art Competition rules. Specific guidance for the 2026 competition can be found at this link.
Artwork entered in the contest may be up to 26 inches by 26 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. Accepted mediums for the two-dimensional artwork are:
- Paintings: oil, acrylics, watercolor, etc.
- Drawings: colored pencil, pencil, ink, marker, pastels, charcoal.
- 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
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).
To apply, you can drop off your original artwork with this form attached at my Woodbridge or Fredericksburg District Office by 5:00pm on Friday, April 17.
For questions, please contact alejandra.pan@mail.house.gov or call (703) 987-2180.