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Art and design

Congressional Art Competition

Congressional Art Competition, An Artistic Discovery

One winner per congressional district, with the winning artwork hung in the United States Capitol for a year.

Run by United States House of Representatives

Official website Reviews and tips

Key facts

Eligible grades
Grades 8 to 12. Members may choose to include 7th and 8th grade students if schools in their district house grades 7 to 12 on one campus. Verify with your Member's office.
The previous listing described this as grades 9 to 12. The national rules say 8 to 12, with 7th grade possible in some districts. Public, private and home-schooled students are eligible.
Source, checked 2026-09-02
Eligible ages
Not confirmed. This organiser may set eligibility by grade rather than age. We do not convert one into the other.
Eligibility is by grade, not age.
Individual or team
Individual
Where it runs
In person · United States
Entry cost
FreeNo entry fee is described. Framing the winning piece and, if you attend, travel to Washington are the costs to plan for.
Registration deadline
Set locally, not published as a single national date There is no national deadline; each Member's office sets its own, typically between late March and late April. Examples from the 2026 cycle: 27 March, 30 March, 13 April and 17 April, all with different times of day. Find your own Member's date and note the time, since several close at 4 or 5 p.m. rather than midnight.
Competition dates
Winning artwork hangs in the U.S. Capitol for one year, from June through the following May, and winners are recognised at an annual awards ceremony in Washington, D.C.
Difficulty
Some preparation neededYou will want a few weeks of targeted practice. Most motivated students place respectably.
Prizes
Display in the United States Capitol for one yearNo cash prize under the national rules. The district winner's work is displayed in the Capitol for a year and featured on the House.gov competition page. Individual Members sometimes add district-level awards.

What Congressional Art Competition is

The Congressional Art Competition is the visual art counterpart to the Congressional App Challenge, run district by district by Members of the House of Representatives. High school students submit a two-dimensional artwork, a local panel judges the district entries, and the winning piece hangs in a corridor of the United States Capitol for a year. Like the App Challenge, the district structure means the field you compete against is small and local.

How the competition works

Two-dimensional artwork only, no bas-relief. Framed, no larger than 26 inches high by 26 inches wide by 4 inches deep, and no more than 15 pounds including the frame. Work must be in the original medium, not a scan or reproduction. Accepted media include paintings, drawings, collage, prints, mixed media, computer-generated art and photography. Entries copied from an existing photo or image created by someone else violate the rules and are not accepted. Artwork must comply with House Office Building Commission policy: subjects of contemporary political controversy or of a sensationalistic or gruesome nature are not allowed.

Eligibility notes

You must live or attend school in a participating congressional district. Check whether your Member of Congress runs the competition, as participation is at each office's discretion.

How to register

  1. Check whether your Member of Congress is running the competition by visiting their official House.gov page.
  2. Read the local rules for deadline, size limits, weight limits and delivery instructions, which are set by that office.
  3. Create an original two-dimensional artwork within the stated limits.
  4. Submit or deliver it by the district deadline, with the required student information form.

Register on the official site

What skills you need

  • Two-dimensional art practice
  • Working within size constraints
  • Framing and presentation
  • Meeting formal submission requirements

Recommended resources

Past problems and materials

Only materials the organiser or an authorised archive publishes openly are listed here.

  • Past winning artworks

    Winning works are published by individual congressional offices and shown in the Capitol display.

Frequently asked questions

What kind of artwork is accepted?

Two-dimensional work only, within stated size and weight limits including the frame. Paintings, drawings, prints, mixed media, collage, computer-generated art and photographs are typically accepted. Check your district's specific rules.

How do I find my district's deadline?

Contact your Member of Congress's office or check their House.gov page. Deadlines and procedures are set locally and vary considerably between districts.

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