Congressional Art Competition

What is the Congressional Art Competition?

Congressman Hal Rogers invites all high school students in Kentucky's Fifth Congressional District to participate in the 2024 Congressional Art Competition. One student will be selected to represent Southern and Eastern Kentucky in Washington, DC.

The winning artwork from each congressional district is displayed in the U.S. Capitol Building for one year and the artist will be recognized during a national awards ceremony. The winning artist may also be eligible for a college scholarship.

Students must attend high school in one of the 33 counties in Kentucky's Fifth Congressional District, which includes: Bath, Bell, Boyd, Breathitt, Carter, Clay, Elliott, Floyd, Harlan, Jackson, Johnson, Knott, Knox, Laurel, Lawrence, Lee, Leslie, Letcher, Lincoln, Magoffin, Martin, McCreary, Menifee, Morgan, Owsley, Perry, Pike, Pulaski, Rockcastle, Rowan, Wayne, Whitley and Wolfe counties.

The Congressional Art Competition, sponsored by the Congressional Institute, was initiated by Congress in 1982 to provide an opportunity for members of Congress to encourage and recognize the artistic talents of young people living in their districts. More than 650,000 students have participated in the competition over the last 30 years.

Acceptable Artwork

Accepted mediums for the two-dimensional artwork are as follows:

• Paintings: oil, acrylics, watercolor, etc.

• Drawings: colored pencil, pencil, ink, marker, pastels, charcoal

• 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

The artwork must be two-dimensional, cannot exceed 26" x 26" x 4" and cannot weigh more than 15 pounds. The winning artwork must be framed by the artist before being displayed in the U.S. Capitol Building.

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.

Click here to review the art submission checklist.

Rules & Regulations

Click here for a list of this year's rules and regulations

A guide to copyright and plagiarism

Student Information & Release Form

All artwork must be submitted with the completed student information and release form, which must also be signed by the student's art teacher.

Click here to fill out and print the Student Information and Release Form. 

How to Submit Your Artwork

To submit your artwork for the 2024 competition, send an email to rogers.press@mail.house.gov with two attachments:

1. A photo of your artwork.

2. A pdf copy of the Student Information and Release Form, fully completed and signed. 

Artwork will be accepted until Friday, May 3, 2024.

For more information, contact Danielle Smoot at 606-679-8346 or danielle.smoot@mail.house.gov.