Each spring, the Congressional Institute of the U.S. Congress sponsors a nationwide high school visual arts competition for students in grades 9-12 to recognize artistic talent in each Congressional District (CD). This year, Congresswoman Julia Brownley invites you to create a piece of art to participate in the art competition. A panel of local artists will select the winner, and the winning artwork will be publicly displayed at the U.S. Capitol Building for one year. The winning student and one adult will be flown to Washington, DC. To view the full rules, click here.
- The competition is open to all students in grades 9-12 who reside in California’s 26th Congressional District.
- 1st Place Piece can ultimately be no larger than 26”x 26” x 4”, with a required frame.
- Artwork cannot exceed 15 pounds, including frame, and must be two-dimensional.
- Accepted mediums are as follows:
- Paintings: oil, acrylics, watercolor, etc.
- Drawings: colored pencil, pencil, ink, marker, pastels, charcoal
- Collage: must be two-dimensional
- Prints: lithographs, silkscreen, block prints
- Mixed Media: Use of more than two mediums
- Computer-generated art
- Photography
- Submissions must be original in concept, design and execution and may not violate any copyright laws.
- 1st Place Piece will hang in the Capitol for an entire year and cannot be returned to the student earlier.
DEADLINE TO SUBMIT: Monday, May 1, 2023.
HOW TO SUBMIT: Artwork should be dropped off between 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM on or before the deadline at my Oxnard or Thousand Oaks District Offices. Students must call in advance if they wish to drop off their artwork in Oxnard.
STUDENT INFORMATION/RELEASE FORM: Download the form here.
This form must be completed, signed, and attached to the back of the artwork submission.
QUESTIONS: Contact Sara Ruiz at (805) 379-1779 or e-mail sara.ruiz@mail.house.gov.
