Art Competition
2026 Congressional Art Competition - Now Open!
The deadline for the 2026 Congressional Art Competition is April 10th at 5 PM PST.
The Congressional Art Competition is an opportunity to recognize and encourage the artistic talent in the nation, as well as in our Congressional District.
It is open and free of charge to all high school students who reside in California's 30th Congressional District. The winning art piece is then displayed in the U.S. Capitol tunnel, where thousands of visitors and Members of Congress travel through every year. The artist, alongside a family member, will also be invited to attend a special ceremony in D.C! The exhibit in Washington will include the winning artwork from all participating districts from around the country. The winning artwork is also featured on House.gov's Congressional Art Competition page.
The 2nd Place winner will have their artwork displayed in my Washington D.C. office, and the 3rd Place winner will have their art hung up in my District office in Burbank.
The winning pieces of artwork will be displayed in the Capitol tunnel, Washington D.C. office, or Burbank District office for a full year.
The following is a summary of the Congressional Art Competition rules:
The theme of this year's art contest is "Life in the 30th", inviting students to interpret what life feels like in California's 30th Congressional District.
Artwork entered in the contest may be up to 26 inches by 26 inches, may be up to 4 inches in depth, and not weigh more than 15 pounds. If your artwork is selected as the winning piece, it must arrive in Washington D.C., framed. Even when framed, it must still measure no larger than the maximum dimensions.
Acceptable media include:
- Paintings - including oil, acrylics, and watercolor
- Drawings - including pastels, colored pencil, pencil, charcoal, ink, and markers (Charcoal and pastel drawings must be fixed.)
- Collages - must be two dimensional
- Prints - including lithographs, silkscreen, and block prints
- Mixed Media - use of more than two mediums such as pencil, ink, watercolor, etc.
- Computer-generated art
- Photography
All entries must be original in concept, design and execution and may not violate any 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 or drawing). For more information on copyrights, we recommend you visit: https://www.artandwriting.org/awards/how-to-enter/copyright-plagiarism/ Artwork will hang in Washington, DC, from June 2026 to May 2027. Do not submit artwork that will be needed for other purposes during that period.
For more information on the 2026 Congressional Art Competition, you can read up on this year's rules and regulations and this list of Frequently Asked Questions.
SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS: Please email the completed 2026 Congressional Art Competition release form to CA30.ArtCompetition@mail.house.gov. Artwork must also be dropped off at the District Office in Burbank by 5PM on April 10th as well. Please note that art will not be accepted without a completed release form.
If you have any questions, call Maria Sosyan at District office at 818-524-4384 or email CA30.ArtCompetition@mail.house.gov.