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Art Competition

SUMMARY

Each spring, a nation-wide arts competition is sponsored by the Members of the U.S. House of Representatives. The Congressional Art Competition is an opportunity to recognize and encourage the artistic talent around the country, as well as in California's 18th Congressional District.

The Congressional Art Competition is open to all high school students in our District. The winning artwork 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.

Submissions will be accepted in-person in the Salinas and San Jose District Offices and virtually, and the deadline is Friday, April 19, 2024. The guidelines for the artwork follow, and digital submissions must show the width and depth of the piece.

RULES

Click here for all Congressional Art Competition Rules.

The following is a summary of the Congressional Art Competition rules:

The framed 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.

  • Paintings - including oil, acrylics, and watercolor
  • Drawings - including pastels, colored pencil, pencil, charcoal, ink, and markers (It is recommended that charcoal and pastel drawings be fixed.)
  • Collages - must be two dimensional
  • Prints - including lithographs, silkscreen, and block prints
  • Mixed Media - use of more than two mediums such as pencil, ink, watercolor, etc.
  • Computer-generated art
  • Photography

All entries must be an 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.

ENTER THE 2024 COMPETITION

To participate, please follow these steps:

  1. Fill out the Art Competition Student Release Form.
     
  2. Take 3-8 photos of the artwork if submitting your piece virtually. Skip step two if submitting in-person.
    • The photos must not be blurry
    • The photos must not be edited to misrepresent the artwork in any way
    • The photos must showcase the artwork in both daylight and indoor lighting
    • The photos must show the width and depth of the piece
       
  3. If submitting your piece virtually, please email the student release form and photos to CA18artcompetition@gmail.com by 4:00pmPT on Friday, April 19, 2024.

    If submitting your piece in-person, please bring your student release form and artwork to one of the District Offices:
    • Salinas District Office
      142 West Alisal Street
      Room E116
      Salinas, CA  93901

    • San Jose District Office
      635 North First Street Suite B
      San Jose, CA  95112

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