Congressional Art Competition
Each spring, a nation-wide 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 the artistic talent in the nation, as well as in our Congressional District.
Students should enter the Competition held in the Congressional District where they live. However, if a student attends a high school within California’s 45th Congressional District, they may submit their artwork into our office’s competition. If you do not know your Member of Congress or Congressional District, use the Find My Representative tool on the U.S. House of Representatives website.
Once a winner is selected, their artwork is displayed for 11 months in the Cannon Tunnel that leads into the U.S. Capitol – a path frequented by Members of Congress, staff, and visitors from around the world. With millions passing by the exhibit each year, it is one of the most-viewed art installations in the country. The winning artwork is also featured on House.gov's Congressional Art Competition page.
To enter the competition, students must submit their framed, physical artwork and completed student release form to our District Office. The information for the Student Release Form submission must be typed. You can find the Student Release Form HERE.
The deadline for submissions is 5:00 PM Pacific on April 10, 2026. Please contact my Cypress office at (714) 960-6483 or ca45artcomp@gmail.com for any questions or concerns.
The following is a summary of the Congressional Art Competition rules:
Size Restrictions
Artwork must be two-dimensional. Each framed artwork can be no larger than 26 inches high, 26 inches wide, 4 inches deep, and 15 pounds. 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 maximum dimensions.
Acceptable Media
Work entered must be in the original medium (i.e., not a scanned reproduction of a painting, drawing, etc.).
Acceptable media are:
- 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 copied from an existing photo or image (including a painting, graphic, or advertisement) created by someone other than the student violates competition rules and will not be accepted. For more information on copyrights, please visit: https://www.artandwriting.org/awards/how-to-enter/copyright-plagiarism/
You can find a copy of the 2026 Rules and Regulations for Students and Teachers HERE.
Artwork will hang in Washington, DC, from June 2026 to May 2027. Do not submit artwork that will be needed for other purposes during that period. The rules, checklist, and release form for the competition are scheduled to be posted in early February on House.gov Congressional Art Competition page.