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Art Competition

2024 CONGRESSIONAL ART COMPETITION

Members of the US House of Representatives sponsor a national art competition each spring. The Congressional Art Competition is an opportunity to recognize and encourage the artistic talent in the nation, as well as in our congressional district.

We would like you to know that Congressman David Trone will still host this yearly competition, however, we have switched to an Online Competition to make the submission of artwork easier for students.

The deadline for submissions is Sunday, April 21, 2024. Students can submit their artwork from the convenience of their own homes by using our online submission form, which you can find by clicking below.

Submit Your Artwork Here!

For more information about the Congressional Art Competition, click here, and check out the Congressional Institute’s Social Media Promotional Reel and Celebrating the Congressional Art Competition Video.

COMPETITION DETAILS

The Congressional Art Competition is open to all high school students who live or attend a high school in the 6th Congressional District. If you’re not sure if you live in the 6th District, you can look up your congressional district here. You can also call Rep. Trone’s office at 301-926-0300 and provide your street address and zip code to a staff member who will be able to help you. The winning artwork from our district’s competition will be displayed for one year in the U.S. Capitol. The Capitol exhibit includes 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.

COMPETITION RULES AND REGULATIONS

The Rules for Students and Teachers must be followed to ensure acceptance into the Exhibition.

The following is a summary of the Congressional Art Competition rules:

Artwork entered in the contest may be no larger than 26 inches high, 26 inches wide, and 4 inches in depth and not weigh more than 15 pounds (even when framed). If your artwork is selected as the winning piece, it must arrive framed and must still measure no larger than the above maximum dimensions. 

Accepted mediums for the two-dimensional artwork are as follows:

  • Paintings: oil, acrylics, watercolor, etc.
  • Drawings: colored pencil, pencil, ink, marker, pastels, charcoal (It is recommended that charcoal and pastel drawings be fixed.)
  • Prints: lithographs, silk screen, block prints
  • Mixed Media: use of more than two mediums such as pencil, ink, watercolor, etc.
  • Collages (must be two dimensional)
  • Computer-generated art (A.I. generated art is not accepted)
  • Photographs

​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).

COMPETITION SUITABILITY GUIDELINES

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. Each Member of Congress will be required to submit a letter of support confirming that the Member has determined that the winning artwork adheres to the Commission’s policy. However, if another Member of Congress requests review of any artwork for compliance with the Commission’s policy, the final decision regarding the artwork’s suitability for display will be made by the Commission.

TO APPLY

This year, Representative Trone will be holding an online-only Art Competition. Entries must be submitted digitally no later than 5:00 p.m. on Sunday, April 21, 2024, to our online portal here. Each submission must be made through the Google Form and must be filled out completely including a picture of the student’s artwork (preferably HD). No entry will be considered unless submitted through a completed Google Submission Form. We will only accept one entry per student.

Submit Your Artwork Here!

For questions please email Trone.Art@mail.house.gov or call our District office at 301-926-0300.