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Art Competition



Every spring, a national high school arts competition is sponsored by the Members of the U.S. House of Representatives. The Congressional Art Competition is an opportunity to recognize and encourage the awesome artistic talent of our nation’s young artists.  

COMPETITION ELIGIBILITY

The Congressional Art Competition is open to all high school students who live in New Jersey's Ninth Congressional District (all towns and cities are listed here.)

COMPETITION RULES 

The Congressional Art Institute’s Rules and Regulations for the 2023 competition are available here.

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
  • 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 Art & Writing Awards website: https://www.artandwriting.org/awards/how-toenter/copyright-plagiarism/

Work entered must be in the original medium (that is, not a scanned reproduction of a painting or drawing).

Artwork will hang in the Cannon Tunnel for the duration of the exhibition. Students should only submit artwork they will not need for other purposes.

COMPETITION SUITABILITY GUIDELINES

Artwork must adhere to the policy of the House Office Building Commission (the 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. While it is not the intent to censor any artwork, we do wish to avoid artwork that is potentially inappropriate for display in this highly travelled area leading to the Capitol. 

TO APPLY

Each student must submit 1 entry, TYPED, 2023 Student Information and Release Form avail here. Complete all required fields thoroughly.

Your home address must be within District 9, NO P.O. Box will be accepted.

The information requested on the first page of the form should be provided as thoroughly as possible. Students should include their mailing addresses if they differ from their home addresses. Students should also include contact information that will be valid for several years.

The form requires a description of the artwork, which should be detailed, clearly identifying the major elements of the work. For example, “self-portrait” or “a picture of two people” would be unacceptable, since many artworks would fit those descriptions.

The following is an example of a useful description: “A painting of two people; the person on the left wears a green sweater and khaki pants; the person on the right wears a black shirt and a striped skirt. A dog sits at their feet.”

The second page of the Student Information and Release Form contains a legal release and a certification that the artwork is original in design and execution.

The student, an art teacher, and a parent or guardian must sign where appropriate.

Entries without signed originality certifications and artwork releases may not be accepted.

RELEASE FORM/DIGIAL PHOTO SUBMISSION DEADLINE:  Monday, 4/24/2023. 

Please submit a high-quality digital picture of your Artwork along with the Student Information & Release Form to artcompetitiond9@gmail.com.

ARTWORK DROP-OFF DEADLINE:  Wednesday, 4/26/2023, or sooner to Congressman Bill Pascrell, Jr., 200 Federal Plaza, Ste 500, Paterson, NJ, between the hours of 9:30am to 430pm.  Before dropping off, please refer to the 2023 Art Submission Checklist here.

WINNER ANNOUNCEMENT:

Winners will now be announced at the Gallery, your attendance is required along with your family, friends, and teachers.  All are Welcome!

Certificates will be awarded to all students and picture with the Congressman.

When:   Friday, May 5, 2023, from 6pm – 7:00pm sharp!, Eastern Time - New Jersey

Where:  Montclair State University, George Segal Gallery, 1 Normal Ave, Montclair, NJ 07043, USA (map)

PLEASE NOTE:  At the very end of the reception, all students will take their artwork home, except for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners.

If you have any question, please reach out to Ian Godfrey at ArtCompetitiond9@gmail.com. or call the office at (973) 523-5152.

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