Congressional Art Competition
Every spring, the U.S. House of Representatives holds a nationwide bipartisan art competition as a way to encourage artistic expression in our schools.
This is a chance for high school students across VA-04 and the nation to showcase their creative talents, and have their art displayed for one year in the U.S. Capitol! The winning artwork is also featured on House.gov’s Congressional Art Competition page.
A summary of the Art Competition rules:
Any artwork entered in the competition may be up to 26 inches by 26 inches, up to 4 inches in depth, and weigh up to 15 pounds when framed. If your artwork is selected, it must arrive framed and still remain within the above maximum dimension and weight constraints.
- 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
The competition is open to any high school student who lives in Virginia's Fourth Congressional District .
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). Work may not be created using the assistance or artificial intelligence.
Review the 2025 Rules for Students and Teachers here. Complete the 2025 Student Release form here.
Students should submit their completed application packet in PDF format to VA04_Projects@mail.house.gov with subject line Congressional Art Competition.
Along with their signed application form, they must provide a good quality photo showing the entire art piece. ( If the artist wishes to highlight close-up details of their work, they may submit up to 5 additional photos of their entry.)
The deadline to submit artwork is Tuesday, April 22, 2025 by 5 pm.
Artwork will hang in the Cannon Tunnel for the duration of the exhibition (until Summer 2026). Students should only submit artwork they will not need for other purposes.
Suitability Guidelines: Artwork must adhere to the policy of the House Office Building Commission. In accordance with this policy, exhibits depicting subjects of contemporary political controversy or a sensationalistic or gruesome nature are not allowed.
For any additional questions, please contact Elizabeth Hardin (Elizabeth.Hardin@mail.house.gov).