Art Competition
Each spring, a nation-wide high school arts competition is sponsored by the Members of the U.S. House of Representatives. The Artistic Discovery Contest is an opportunity to recognize and encourage the artistic talent in the nation, as well as in our Congressional District.
The Artistic Discovery Contest is open to all high school students in our District. The winning artwork of our district's competition will be displayed for one year in the U.S. Capitol. The exhibit in Washington will include the winning artwork from all participating districts from around the country. The winning artwork is also featured on House.gov's Congressional Art Competition page.
Are you interested in your art being displayed in our nation's capital? Read more details about the Congressional Art Competition below!
The following is a summary of the Congressional Art Competition rules:
Artwork entered in the contest may be up to 28 inches by 28 inches, may be up to 4 inches in depth, and not weigh more than 15 pounds. If your artwork is selected as the winning piece, it must arrive framed and must still measure no larger than the above maximum dimensions.
- 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
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).
To view the rules, checklist, and release form for the competition, visit House.gov's Congressional Art Competition page.
If you would like more information on the annual Congressional District Art Competition, see below:
Rules & Regulations
Send your art to: Monroe District Office, attn: Melissa Merrell, 300 North Main Street, Monroe, NC 28812
or
Email a JPG of your art to: Melissa Merrell | melissa.merrelll@mail.house.gov
SUBMISSION DEADLINE FOR NC-08: APRIL17th, 2026 AT 5:00PM ET.
Winner of the 2025 Congressional Art Competition:
Thingamacat by Johannah Raj