Congressman Mike Garcia invites high school students in California’s 27th Congressional District to participate in the Annual Congressional Art Competition. Each spring, a nation-wide high school arts competition is sponsored by the Congressional Institute. The Congressional Art Competition is an opportunity to recognize and encourage the artistic talent in the nation and our congressional district. The first-place artist from CA-27 will have their artwork prominently displayed in the Cannon Tunnel of the U.S. Capitol for one year, beginning in May.

Mike Garcia Announces 2024 Congressional Art Competition Winner: Alex Coons

Requirements

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 arrive in Washington, DC, framed. Even when framed, it must still measure no larger than the above maximum dimensions. No framed piece should weigh more than 15 pounds.

Note: Congressman Garcia does not require framing to enter the artwork in the district competition. However, it is highly recommended to protect your masterpiece while hanging in the public viewing gallery.

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.)
• Collages: must be two dimensional
• Prints: lithographs, silkscreen, block prints
• Mixed Media: use of more than two mediums such as pencil, ink, watercolor, etc.
• Computer-generated art
• Photographs

Each entry must be original in concept, design, and execution and may not violate 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. For more information on copyright laws, we recommend you visit the Scholastic website.

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.

If you would like more information on the annual Congressional District Art Competition - please submit the form below or contact Danielle Pavelich at Danielle.Pavelich@mail.house.gov.