Congressional Art Competition

The Congressional Art Competition is an opportunity for local high school students to have their artwork displayed in the U.S. Capitol for one year.

Teachers and/or students should verify their eligibility with the office of the Member of Congress. Artwork must be the creation of a single student. Students may not collaborate on an entry. Artwork must be two-dimensional.

Each framed artwork can be no larger than 26 inches high, 26 inches wide, and 4 inches deep. 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 above maximum dimensions. No framed piece should weigh more than 15 pounds.

Accepted mediums for the two-dimensional artwork are as follows:

  • 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

Each entry must be original in concept, design, and execution and may not violate 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.

2027 Congressional Art Competition Timeline (Exact dates TBA):

**Congressional Art Competition Opens in January 2027**

Submissions: February – April 2027

Deadline: Mid-April 2027

Judging: Last week of April – May 1st

Winners announced: May 2027

2026 Required Form Submissions and Additional Information (2027 Forms will be updated at a later date):

If you would like more information on the annual Congressional District Art Competition, contact our office at (202) 225-6231 or email our staff.

Orlando Ross

orlando.ross@mail.house.gov

Michelle Mei

michelle.mei@mail.house.gov

All entries are due by April 2027 (TBA), and can be mailed to or dropped off at Congresswoman Clarke’s District Office.  Entrants are required to pay for framing if selected as the winner or a runner-up. For more information and application materials, please click here.

2025 recap of the Art Competition, visit here.