“(Con)Serve Your Country,” digital artwork by Arcata High student Maximiliano Gambin. Click here for high resolution.
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Listen up, all you artistic high school students. Here’s an opportunity to put your talents to good use and maybe win a free trip to our nation’s capitol out of the deal.
Submissions are officially being accepted for the 2020 Congressional Art Competition, an annual visual arts contest that recognizes talented high school students in each congressional district across the U.S.
Congressman Jared Huffman of California’s Second Congressional District is calling for local high school students to submit their work to one of his district offices before the April 20, deadline.
“I invite young artists from up and down California’s North Coast to join their peers across the nation in an opportunity to showcase their art in the U.S. Capitol Building,” Huffman is quoted as saying in a press release.
The chosen artwork will be showcased in the U.S. Capitol Building for one year alongside artwork from each Congressional District in the country. Each winner will receive two round-trip tickets to a ribbon-cutting ceremony and reception in Washington, D.C. and a scholarship to the Savannah College of Art and Design.
Stick to the contest guidelines below and you might follow in the footsteps of former Arcata High School student Max Gambin, who was named the district winner in 2017 for his digital art piece “Serve Your Country.”
Read more from Huffman’s office:
Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressman Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael) announced that the 2020 Congressional Art Competition is open to all high school students in California’s Second Congressional District, which spans from the Golden Gate Bridge to the Oregon border. The annual art contest is held by the U.S. Congress for high school students across the country.
“I am excited to announce the kickoff of our 2020 Congressional Art Competition, an opportunity for Congress to recognize and encourage the artistic talent of our high school students,” said Rep. Huffman. “I invite young artists from up and down California’s North Coast to join their peers across the nation in an opportunity to showcase their art in the U.S. Capitol Building.”
Students must submit completed works to one of Congressman Huffman’s district offices or an approved drop off location no later than Friday, April 20, 2020.
The winning artwork will be exhibited in the U.S. Capitol Building for one year alongside artwork from each Congressional District in the country. The winning student will receive two round-trip tickets to Washington, D.C. to attend a ribbon-cutting ceremony and reception for the new display in June 2020. All participants will receive a certificate of recognition. The winner will also be eligible for a scholarship to attend Savannah College of Art and Design (upon admission acceptance).
Semi-finalist competitions will take place in each county, and a district-wide competition will select the winner of the Second District. Previous winners include: Eden Winniford of Cloverdale (2019), Jaslyn Ortiz of Cloverdale (2018), and Max Gambin of Eureka (2017).
Guidelines for the Congressional Art Competition:
- Artwork must be two-dimensional.
- Each piece can be no larger than 26”h x 26”w x 4”d, including frame (frame optional unless selected as winner).
- Artwork cannot weigh more than 15 lbs.
- Artwork must be original in concept, may not violate U.S. copyright laws, and must be original in medium (scanned copies are not allowed).
- Acceptable media for artwork are as follows:
- Paintings: oil, acrylics, watercolor, etc.
- Drawings: pastels, colored pencil, pencil, charcoal, ink, markers
- Collage: two dimensional
- Prints: lithographs, silkscreen, block prints
- Mixed Media: use of more than two mediums such as pencil, ink, watercolor, etc.
- Computer-Generated Art
All submissions must be accompanied by a completed Student Information/Release Form obtained from Congressman Huffman’s office or website.
- Photography
Educators and students seeking more information may visit Congressman Huffman’s website or the official House of Representatives competition webpage.
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.
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