2026 Congressional Art Competition
The 2026 Congressional Art Competition has launched!
Every spring, the House of Representatives launches a nationwide Congressional Art Competition to discover and celebrate talented high school artists and their work. High school students living throughout the 16th Congressional District are invited to participate and exceptions may be made for schools that have 7th through 12th grades on one campus.
The winning artist, whose work is chosen by a panel of distinguished local artists, earns the distinction of having their artwork displayed in the corridors of our nation’s Capitol, where members of Congress and many thousands of visitors walk daily. The winner will also have the opportunity to attend a special reception and meet with other similarly talented young artists at the unveiling of their works in Washington, D.C. on June 25th.
Please note for 2026:
Our theme this year revolves around the question: What does the United States of America’s 250th anniversary mean to you?
Each student must live within California’s 16th Congressional District. You can check which Congressional District you live in here: https://www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative.
The artwork can be no larger than 26” x 26” x 4” and cannot exceed 15 pounds, including the frame. Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) is not allowed.
Each student is allowed one submission. Students should submit their art to our San José Office at 1101 S. Winchester Boulevard, Suite C-120 South, San José, California 95128 by 5:00 P.M. on Friday, April 17th, 2026. To drop off art at my Half Moon Bay office, please coordinate with my staff by calling (650) 323-2984.
A typed copy of the Student Release Form, signed by the teacher, the student and the student’s parents, must be submitted along with the artwork to certify the originality of the piece.
The winner’s 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.
Acceptable Mediums:
- Paintings: oil, acrylics, watercolor, etc.
- Drawings: pastels, colored pencil, pencil, charcoal, ink, markers (charcoal and pastel drawings should 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
- Photography
A community reception will be held to honor all participants and announce the winner of this year’s competition. Additional details will be provided as appropriate.
For more information, please call our office at (650) 323-2984 or email liccardo.artcompetition@mail.house.gov.