Congressional Art Competition

2009 Congressional Art Competition Guidelines
Office of Congresswoman Niki Tsongas
 

• The competition is open to high school students only. 

• One winner will be chosen from the 5th Congressional District. Artwork will hang in the Capitol for the entire year of the exhibition and cannot be returned to students earlier. Students, therefore, should submit artwork they will not need for other purposes. 

• In order to allow artwork to hang in the Cannon Tunnel of the U.S. Capitol, the following restrictions are enforced:
  o       All artwork must be framed according to the appropriate framing guidelines, listed below.
  o       Artwork must conform to the restrictions:
  §       Artwork must be two-dimensional.
  §       Each piece can be no largerthan 30”x30”x4” (30 inches high, 30 inches wide, and 4 inches deep) including the frame. Artwork cannot weigh more than 15 lbs.
  §       Each entry must be original in concept, design, and execution and may not violate any U.S. copyright laws. Any entry which has been reproduced from an existing photo (not the student’s own), painting, graphic, advertisement, or any other work produced by another person is a violation of the competition rules and will not be accepted.
  o          Artwork must arrive in Washington by June 4, 2009 for inclusion in display.
   
• Artwork categories are as follows:
  o       Paintings: oil, acrylics, watercolor, etc.
  o       Drawings: pastels, colored pencil, pencil, charcoal, ink, markers
  o       Collage: must be two dimensional
  o       Prints: lithographs, silkscreen, block prints
  o       Mixed Media: use of more than two mediums such as pencil, ink, etc.
  o       Computer generated art
  o       Photography
   
• A TYPED or clearly legible copy of the Student Release form, signed by both the teacher and the student, must be attached to the artwork to certify the originality of the piece. Teachers, please include a copy of the Student Release form, along with a list of students and a description of their artwork from your school to our office when you deliver the artwork. In addition, please attach a label on the front of the artwork with the student's name and the title of the work. This will help us catalog the artwork efficiently. 
   
• Artwork for the Congressional Art Competition must be completed and delivered during regular business hours, between 9:00AM and 5:00PM by April 30, 2009 to:
  Office of Congresswoman Niki Tsongas 11 Kearney Square, 3rd Floor Lowell MA, 01852
   
• The final decision regarding the suitability of all artwork for the 2009 Congressional Art Competition exhibition in the Capitol will be made by a panel of qualified persons chaired by the Architect of the Capitol. 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. It is necessary that all artwork be reviewed by the panel chaired by the Architect of the Capitol and any portion not in consonance with the Commission’s policy will be omitted from the exhibit.

• Click here for the art competition framing guidelines