Congressional Art Competition

Each spring, a nationwide high school arts competition is sponsored by the U.S. House of Representatives. The Congressional Art Competition is an opportunity to recognize and encourage the artistic talent across Washington’s Third Congressional District.

The 2024 Congressional App Challenge has concluded. This webpage will update with details as they are available for the 2025 competition.

Eligibility:

  • Students must attend high school (or may attend 7th or 8th grades if their school houses 7th-12th grades on one campus).
  • Students must reside in Washington’s Third District.

Artwork Requirements:

  • Must be the creation of a single student.
  • Cannot be created using any generative artificial intelligence (AI).
  • Must be two-dimensional.
  • Can be no larger than 26 inches high, 26 inches wide, and 4 inches deep.
  • Can weigh no more than 15 pounds.
  • Must be original in concept, design, and execution and may not violate U.S. copyright laws.
  • May not be copied from an existing photo or image (including a painting, graphic, or advertisement) that was created by someone other than the student.
  • May not include subjects of contemporary political controversy or a gruesome nature.
  • Must be in the original medium, not a scanned reproduction.

Accepted Mediums:

  • Paintings: oil, acrylics, watercolor, etc.
  • Drawings: colored pencil, pencil, ink, marker, pastels, charcoal (it is recommended that charcoal and pastel drawings 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.
  • Photographs

Additional Information:

  • Artwork will be judged in person in Vancouver, WA. Details on drop off or coordinating a pickup of your work from your school are in the submission form.
  • The winning artwork will hang underneath the U.S. Capitol for one year, so students should only submit artwork that will not be needed for other purposes.