Congressional Art Competition
The House of Representatives hosts the Congressional Art Competition each Spring. The competition is an opportunity to encourage and recognize the artistic talent of young people across the country and in our community.
It is open to all high school students in California's 38th Congressional District. The winning artist's work will be displayed for one year in the U.S. Capitol along with artwork from all participating districts nationwide.
2025 Congressional Art Competition
This year’s competition will be held on Thursday, April 17 at 5:00 p.m. at Rowland High School.
All submissions must be physically submitted to my Whittier office (15111 Whittier Blvd, Suite 220, Whittier, CA 90603) and include a completed release form.
Artwork must be finished and submitted to my Whittier office by Thursday, April 3 before 5:00 p.m.
NO LATE ENTRIES WILL BE ACCEPTED.
If you have questions, please contact Melanie Renteria at melanie.renteria@mailhouse.gov or call (562) 860-5050.
Awards
- First Place: $1,000 scholarship and artwork displayed in the U.S. Capitol for one year
- Second Place: $400 scholarship
- Third Place: $300 scholarship
- Fan Favorite: $200 scholarship
- Honorable Mention: $100 scholarship
Rules
Artwork must be two-dimensional. Each framed artwork can be no larger than 26 inches high, 26 inches wide, and 4 inches deep. If your artwork is selected as the winning piece, it must measure no larger than the maximum dimensions. No framed piece should weigh more than 15 pounds.
Accepted mediums for the two-dimensional artwork are as follows:
- Paintings - oil, acrylics, watercolor, etc.
- Drawings - colored pencil, pencil, ink, marker, pastels, charcoal (is is recommended that charcoal and pastel drawings be fixed).
- Collages - must be two-dimensional.
- Prints - lithographs, silkscreens, block prints.
- Mixed Media - use of more than two mediums such as pencil, ink, watercolor, etc.
- Computer-generated art.
- Photographs.
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, drawing, etc.).
The competition is open to high school students only. Exceptions are made for schools that have 7th through 12th grades on one campus.
All entries must comply with the rules and regulations established by the Congressional Art Competition. For complete guidelines, please click here.
If you would like more information on the annual Congressional Art Competition, please contact Melanie Renteria at melanie.renteria@mail.house.gov or (562) 860-5050.
2024 Winner: "Love's Sorrow" by Amber Juarez, Los Altos High School