Congressional Art Competition
Congressional Art Competition
2026 CAC Rules and Regulations
2026 Student Information and Release Form
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.
The Artistic Discovery Contest is open to all high school students in Virginia’s 10th Congressional District. The “Best in Show” 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.
The following is a summary of the Congressional Art Competition rules:
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. Only one entry per student will be accepted.
- Paintings - including oil, acrylics, and watercolor etc
- 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 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).
Participation in the VA-10 Congressional Art Competition involves two steps:
Step 1: Registration
Complete the online VA-10 2026 Congressional Art Competition Registration. The registration portal will be open from Tuesday, January 27, 2026, to Friday, April 3, 2026.
Student Registration Form Link
Step 2: Artwork Submission
Registered students must submit their artwork in-person along with a signed student privacy release form to the following:
- Date: Friday, April 10, 2026
- Time: 9:00am – 6:00pm
- Location: The address will be sent directly to registered participants
Student Privacy Release Form Link
VA-10 Artwork Submission Guidelines
All student artwork submissions must be presented in a study wood or metal frame. All artworks—except oil or acrylic paintings on canvas—must be protected with Plexiglas or glass. Secure metal eye hooks to the upper left and right back of the frame, and attach a metal hanging wire wrapped around both hooks. The student privacy authorization form should be attached to the back of the frame. Artworks must follow these guidelines to participate in our art exhibit.
Below is an example of how the back of the artwork should be prepared:
Please contact the Leesburg District Office for more information on the competition.
2025 Congressional Art Competition
We are grateful for the students that participated in the 2025 competition.
Click below to view the artworks of last year’s participants.