Monday, May 6, 2024
The Congressional Institute will sponsor its annual Congressional Art Competition which celebrates the artistic achievements of the nation’s high school students.
Each Member of Congress may choose to host the program in their individual districts. Many offices ask a panel of local artists, such as artists-in-residence, art teachers, or gallery owners to act as judges.
The winning artwork will hang in the Cannon Tunnel of the United States Capitol for one year. The tunnel is the most highly traveled access point between the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Capitol. Every day, Members of Congress, distinguished visitors, and tens of thousands of tourists walk through the tunnel and admire the artwork.
The competition is now in its 43rd year. Each year, a republican and democratic member of the House are selected to serve as co-chairs. The 2024 competition will be co-chaired by Congresswoman Beth Van Duyne (R-TX-24) and Congresswoman Dina Titus (D-NV-01). The competition is truly bipartisan and one of the highlights of the congressional calendar.
At the beginning of the summer, the Office of the Architect of the Capitol begins the process of removing the previous year’s winners and displaying the new pieces to be showcased. That work takes place over the course of about a month. Each picture is carefully hung and labeled with the name of the artist, the title of the work, and the congressional district. The artwork is organized alphabetically by state and then numerically by district.
The Congressional Institute has sponsored the art competition since 2009. Each congressional office is responsible for getting the winning artwork to Washington, DC, and the Congressional Institute facilitates the process of handing the pieces over to the Architect’s Office for hanging. The institute also oversees the annual awards ceremony, which features a prominent artist from the district of each congressional co-chair. The winning artist from each district is invited to attend the awards ceremony with one parent or guardian. It is their first opportunity to see their artwork displayed in the Cannon Tunnel.
High school students must enter the competition for the congressional district in which they live. If you do not know your Member of Congress, visit the website and use the Find My Representative tool in the upper right corner of the webpage.
To enter in the competition, complete the following tasks:
A digital edition of this year’s exhibition catalog will be sent to you after the sign-up process is completed.
For any questions, email info@conginst.org.
For further details, visit www.congressionalinstitute.org.
