Submit Artwork

Welcome! I would like to invite high school students in the 4th District to participate in the next Congressional Art Competition, a nationwide art competition that allows high school students to showcase their artistic ability.

I believe that this competition is an excellent opportunity for young artists to be challenged and recognized for their talent, creativity, and vision at the national level. This year, the top 10 finalists will also have the opportunity to display their work in a collegiate art gallery at Western Michigan’s Gwen Frostic School of Art.

The winning entry from each congressional district is displayed in an exhibit in the Cannon Tunnel that leads into the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C.

The competition guidelines are below. The deadline for submission is February 5, 2024, at 5 PM. All original entries should be submitted to my offices in Holland or in Portage. Students may only submit one entry. Submissions may be from an art class, a summer camp, or a personal project. The winning entry and finalists will be selected by a panel of local art and design professionals.

The winning student artist will be awarded a trip to Washington, D.C. to attend the national reception during the summer of 2024.

For more information, please contact Presley in my Holland Office at (616) 251-6741 or at Presley.Lunga@mail.house.gov or click here to view last year’s national exhibit and hear form past winners.

Please consider joining this great competition!

To participate in the Art Competition:

1. First, read the guidelines.
2. Next, fill out the release form.
3. Create your work of art.
4. Submit your masterpiece.

 2024 Congressional Art Competition Guidelines:

The competition is open to high school students only. Exceptions may be made for schools that have 7th through 12th grades on one campus.

Artwork must be two-dimensional.

Each framed piece can be no larger than 26” x 26” x 4” (26 inches high, 26 inches wide, and 4 inches deep). If your artwork is selected as the winning piece, it will be required to be framed and must still adhere to the size guidelines.

Artwork cannot weigh more than 15 pounds.

Artwork accepted mediums are as follows:

Each entry 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 (not the student’s own), painting, graphic, advertisement, or any other work produced by another person 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).

Artwork will hang in the Capitol for the entire year of the exhibition and cannot be returned to the students earlier. Students should, therefore, submit artwork they will not need for other purposes.

The final decision regarding the suitability of all artworks for the 2024 Congressional Art Competition exhibition in the Capitol will be made by a panel of qualified persons chaired by the Architect of the Capitol. 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. It is necessary that all artwork be reviewed by the panel chaired by the Architect of the Capitol and any portion not in consonance with the Commission’s policy will be omitted from the exhibit.