Celebrating America's 250th Anniversary

WASHINGTON, DC -- U.S. Rep. Harold "Hal" Rogers invites High School and Middle School students in Southern and Eastern Kentucky to participate in the 2026 Congressional Art Competition - Celebrating 250 Years of America.

The winner from Kentucky's Fifth Congressional District will have their artwork displayed in the U.S. Capitol Building for one year. Winning students from across the country are awarded two free airline tickets to attend a national reception in Washington, DC this summer to celebrate their achievement and see their artwork on display. 

"The Congressional Art Competition allows our artistic students to shine on Capitol Hill. Every year, our students enter remarkable artwork for the competition, and I look forward to seeing their creativity in celebrating the nation's 250th anniversary," said Congressman Rogers, Dean of the House. "More than 300,000 visitors get to see a little piece of Southern and Eastern Kentucky when they visit Washington, and I'm always proud to show off the incredible talent that we have in Kentucky's Appalachian region." 

To participate in the competition, students must submit a photo of their original artwork, along with the required student release form, by emailing them to rogers.press@mail.house.gov. The deadline to submit artwork is April 24, 2026.

Acceptable mediums include paintings, drawings, collages, prints, mixed media, computer-generated art and photographs. The artwork must be an original concept that is two-dimensional, not exceeding 26" x 26" x 4" and cannot weigh more than 15 pounds. The winning artwork must be framed within the required dimensions before being displayed in the U.S. Capitol Building.

Eligible students must attend middle or high school in Kentucky's Fifth Congressional District, which includes the following 33 counties: 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.

For more information, contact the Somerset office at 606-679-8346 or email rogers.press@mail.house.gov.

Last year, Kelsi Earles from Corbin High School won the competition for Kentucky's Fifth Congressional District with her painting entitled, Daydream.

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 10,000 works of student art have been displayed in the U.S. Capitol over the last four decades. 

For more information about the Congressional Art Competition in Kentucky's Fifth Congressional District, visit halrogers.house.gov/congressional-art-competition.

Click here to download the student release form.
Click here to download competition rules.