Each spring, the Congressional Institute sponsors a nationwide high school visual arts competition to recognize and encourage artistic talent. Since the competition began in 1982, more than 650,000 high school students have participated.

Winners are recognized both in their district and at an annual awards ceremony in Washington, DC. The winning works are displayed for one year at the U.S. Capitol.

The 2024 Competition closed on May 1st, 2024. This page will be updated once information for the 2025 Competition is released.

Qualifications:

• Our office accepts entries from all middle and high school students in the 8th Congressional District.
• Entries should be scanned and emailed to MA082024ArtComp@gmail.com.
• All entries must be original in concept, design, and execution.
• Artwork must be the creation a single student. Students may not collaborate on an entry.
• Artwork entered in the contest may be up to 26" x 26" (including the frame), 4" in depth, and 15 pounds in weight.
• More information on the competition rules and student release form can be found here.

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 (Collages must be two dimensional.)
• Prints (Lithographs, Silkscreen, Block prints)
• Mixed Media (Must include use of more than two mediums such as pencil, ink, watercolor, etc.)
• Computer-generated art
• Photographs

The 2024 Congressional App Challenge is now open. Submissions are due October 24th, 2024.

Established in 2015, the Congressional App Challenge challenges middle and high school students to design and enter their original apps for a chance to win and attend the #HouseofCode Capitol Hill Reception in Washington, DC. Winners also have the chance to display their app proposal in the U.S. Capitol. 

Qualifications:

• Must be a middle or high school student at the time of app submission.
• Students may register as individuals or as teams of up to four. No more than four students are allowed to form a team.
• Applicants to our office must be residents of or go to school in the 8th Congressional District.
• If competing as a team, at least half of the teammates must be eligible to compete in the district in which they are participating in.
• Submissions are due October 24th, 2024.

For more information on challenge and app guidelines, please visit the CAC website here.