2026 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 Congressional Art Competition began in 1982 to provide an opportunity for members of Congress to encourage and recognize the artistic talents of their young constituents. Since then, over 650,000 high school students have been involved with the nationwide competition.
The Artistic Discovery Contest is open to all high school students in the district. The over-all winner of our district's competition will be displayed for one year in the U.S. Capitol. The exhibit in Washington will also include artwork from other contest winners nationwide.
The following is a Summary of the Congressional Art Competition rules
- All artwork must be framed according to the appropriate framing guidelines listed below:
- All artwork must be two-dimensional
- Artwork can be no larger than 26 inches high, 26 inches wide, 4 inches deep, and 15 pounds, including the frame
- The artwork must be in the original medium (i.e., not a scan of a painting, drawing, etc.). For more information on the rules please view the 2026 Rules and Regulations.
Accepted mediums for the two-dimensional artwork are as follows:
- 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.
- 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 violates the competition rules and will not be accepted. For more information on copyright laws, we recommend you visit the Scholastic website.
High School students who are interested in the Congressional Art competition and uncertain which Congressional District or their member of Congress can use the https://www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative tool on the U.S. House of Representatives website.
Deadline
Art submissions must be dropped off at our district office (1370 Adams Ave, Ste A, Costa Mesa, CA 92626) by March 27th before 4:30 pm. A frame meeting the rules and guidelines is required upon submission.
When dropping off art pieces, students must also include a signed and filled 2026 Student Release Form.
For any questions email Jasmyn.carteno@mail.house.gov or call the district office at 949-668-6600.
Artwork will be displayed in the Cannon Tunnel from June 2026 through May 2027. Students should only submit artwork they will not need for other purposes.