Art Competition

Each spring, Members of the U.S. House of Representatives host the Congressional Art Competition, a nationwide high school art competition that gives students the opportunity to have their artwork displayed in the U.S. Capitol for one year.

Since its creation in 1982, the Congressional Art Competition has recognized thousands of talented young artists from across the country and continues to highlight the importance of arts education and student creativity.

The competition is open to all high school students who reside in Florida’s 15th Congressional District. Students may submit one original piece of artwork that meets the official competition guidelines.

Requirements

The theme for the 2026 Congressional Art Competition is "Celebrating 250 Years of America."

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.

Submission Deadline
All artwork must be received by March 31 at 5:00 PM.

Artwork Submissions

Download the Student Release Form Here
Submissions may be hand-delivered or mailed to our district office at the following address:

Congresswoman Laurel Lee
14025 Riveredge Drive
Suite 105
Tampa, FL 33637

If schools require accommodations, Congresswoman Laurel Lee’s office is available upon request to coordinate artwork pickup.

Contact Information
For questions regarding the competition, submission requirements, or accommodations, please contact:

Jeanine Ramirez

Jeanine.Ramirez@mail.house.gov