MENDOCINO Co., 3/16/21 — Applications are now open for the Congressional Art Competition, an annual contest which features the work of high school students from around the country in the United States Capitol Building. There will be a winner awarded for each congressional district, and winners will also receive a trip to Washington D.C.. This year, submissions will be accepted digitally until April 24.
Last year, Ukiah High School senior Diya Patel was selected as one of the winners; you can read more about Patel’s art and the competition in this article. Here’s the details on the competition and how to apply from the North Coast’s Congressman Jared Huffman’s Office:
Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressman Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael) announced the 2021 Congressional Art Competition is open for digital submissions from all high school students in California’s Second Congressional District, which spans from the Golden Gate Bridge to the Oregon border.
“I am excited to announce the 2021 Congressional Art Competition is now open for digital submissions,” said Rep. Huffman.“We’ve all been finding new ways to connect and engage with each other during the pandemic, and this year we have a new online submission process that will allow young artists from up and down California’s North Coast to submit their pieces for a chance to have their art hang in the United State Capitol Building.”
Students must submit a completed entry form through Congressman Huffman’s website and email a picture of their submission to [email protected] by April 23, 2021.
The winning artwork will be exhibited in the U.S. Capitol Building for one year alongside artwork from each Congressional District in the country. The winning student will receive two round-trip tickets to Washington, D.C. All participants will receive a certificate of recognition. The winner will also be eligible for a scholarship to attend Savannah College of Art and Design (upon admission acceptance).
Semi-finalist competitions will take place in each county, and a district-wide competition will determine the winner of the Second District. Previous winners include: Diya Patel of Ukiah, Eden Winniford of Cloverdale (2019), Jaslyn Ortiz of Cloverdale (2018).
Guidelines for the Congressional Art Competition:
- Artwork must be two-dimensional.
- Each piece can be no larger than 26”h x 26”w x 4”d, including frame (frame optional unless selected as winner).
- Artwork cannot weigh more than 15 lbs.
- Artwork must be original in concept, may not violate U.S. copyright laws, and must be original in medium (scanned copies are not allowed).
- Acceptable media for artwork are as follows:
- Paintings: oil, acrylics, watercolor, etc.
- Drawings: pastels, colored pencil, pencil, charcoal, ink, markers
- Collage: two dimensional
- Prints: lithographs, silkscreen, block prints
- Mixed Media: use of more than two mediums such as pencil, ink, watercolor, etc.
- Computer-Generated Art
- Photography
All submissions must be submitted online by April 23rd, 2021. See instructions here. Do not mail in your submission.
Educators and students seeking more information may visit Congressman Huffman’s website or the official House of Representatives competition webpage.
The Congressional Art Competition began in 1982 to provide an opportunity for members of Congress to encourage and recognize the artistic talents of their young constituents. Since then, over 650,000 high school students have been involved with the nationwide competition.
