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Congressional Art Competition

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The deadline for high school students in Pennsylvania's 6th Congressional District to submit artwork the 2024 competition has passed.

Our 2024 winners:

First Place:  Emily Otto, Mourning Dew, B Reed Henderson High School
Second Place:  Mar Clark, Mother & Child, Phoenixville Area High School
Third Place: Mason Warwick, Mackerel, Delaware Valley Friends School 
Honorary Mention: Monica Stratton, Rusty Skate, Exeter High School

Each spring, a nationwide high school arts competition is sponsored by the Members of the U.S. House of Representatives. The Artistic Discovery Contest is an opportunity to recognize and encourage the artistic talent in the nation, as well as in our congressional district. Here in the Pennsylvania's 6th District, we partner with the Chester County Art Show to conduct the competition.

IMPORTANT DATES:

Submission deadline: March 14, 2024
Show runs: April 13, 2024 through April 20, 2024
Reception: April 17, 2024, 5 p.m. - 7 p.m.

Stay tuned for deadlines on artwork drop offs and pick ups after the show.            

The Artistic Discovery Contest is open to all high school students in the District. The over-all winner of our district's competition will be displayed for one year in the U.S. Capitol. The exhibit in Washington will also include artwork from other contest winners nation-wide.

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.

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 following form.

Student Information
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