Art Competition

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.

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 28 inches by 28 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
• 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).

It is recommended that all artwork be enhanced and protected by a sturdy frame. Frames must be made of wood or metal. No plastic “snap on” or metal frames that can easily come apart are to be used. All artwork, except paintings in oil or acrylic on canvas, must be protected by Plexiglas or glass. 

The rules, checklist, and release form for the competition are posted each Spring on House.gov.

2025 Congressional Art Competition

We are grateful for the students that participated in the 2025 competition. All participants have been sent an email invitation to the reception taking place in May. 

Click below to view the artworks of this year’s participants.

Congressional Art Competition 2025 Slideshow

If you would like more information on the annual Congressional Art Competition, please submit the following form.