The Congressional Arts Competition allows each Member of Congress to display one piece of artwork, created by a high school student in their district, in the Capitol for one year.
Photo: Congressional art contest winner Sam Kang is congratulated by U.S. Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.) at the Tacoma Art Museum. The museum has been gracious enough to host the 9th District Congressional Art Contest for the past 3 years. Photo credit: Kate Lynch, Word and Picture Communications Co.
In 2008, the opening exhibition in Washington, D.C. will be held on Wednesday, June 25. The winning artist and their family are invited to Washington, D.C. to see their artwork hung in the Capitol.
Southwest Airlines has graciously donated three roundtrip tickets for the winner and a family member to travel to Washington, D.C. to attend the exhibition.
In addition to the Capitol exhibition and travel to Washington, D.C., the winning artist will receive a Artistic Honors Scholarship in the amount of $5,000 to the Savannah College of Art and Design. Students that receive this award may be eligible for higher scholarship consideration upon portfolio submission to the Savannah College of Art and Design.
The second- and third-place winners will have their entries displayed in my Congressional office in Tacoma. The top competitors will also receive prizes.
New consideration for this year is that entries will be accepted from students who attend a school that is in the 9th Congressional District or a school district that has a school in the district. (See a list of eligible schools.)
Please note that any entry which has been reproduced from an existing photo, painting, or any other work produced by another person is a violation of the Competition Rules and will not be accepted or judged. The final decision regarding suitability for the exhibition in the Capitol will be made by a panel chaired by the Architect of the Capitol.
Learn more about the art competition submission guidelines.