Congressional Art Competition

Art Competition Winner

Each spring, the Congressional Institute sponsors a nationwide high school visual art competition to recognize and encourage artistic talent in the nation and in each Congressional District. Since the Congressional Art Competition competition began in 1982, more than 650,000 high school students have participated. The winning artwork from each Congressional District will hang in the Cannon Tunnel of the U.S. Capitol for one year. The tunnel is the most highly traveled access point between the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Capitol. Every day, Members of Congress, distinguished visitors, and tens of thousands of tourists–from the United States and abroad–walk through the tunnel and admire the artwork. The winning artwork is also featured on the House.gov Congressional Art Competition page.

 

2025 Art Competition Deadline and How to Enter

The 2025 Congressional Art Competition is open to all high school students that are residents of New Mexico's First Congressional District. There is no theme for this year's Art Competition, use this as an opportunity to bring any piece of New Mexico that you would like to Washington, D.C.!

The deadline to enter the 2025 Art Competition is Friday, April 25, at 5:00 PM MT.

How to Enter:

  1. Review the 2025 Rules and Regulations for Students and Teachers, linked HERE.
  2. Complete the Student Information & Release Form, linked HERE.
  3. Confirm that you live in New Mexico's First Congressional District using Find Your Representative, linkedHERE.
  4. Deliver the artwork to our Albuquerque office (6301 Indian School Rd. NE, Suite 420, Albuquerque, NM 87110) with a printed copy of the Student Information & Release Form taped to the back of the artwork. You may drop off artwork between 9:00 AM and 5:00 PM on weekdays until the deadline of Friday, April 18.
    • Note: Artwork does not need to arrive framed, however, once a winner is selected, our office will be in touch to coordinate framing the winning artwork.

If you have questions, please do not hesitate to call my office at (505) 346-6781.

 

Summary of the Rules and Regulations for Students and Teachers

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