Congressional Arts Competition
Each spring, a nation-wide high school art competition is hosted by the Members of the U.S. House of Representatives. The Artistic Discovery Contest is an opportunity to recognize and encourage the artistic talent across the country, as well as in our Congressional District.
The winning artwork from the 12th District competition will be displayed for one year in the U.S. Capitol building. The exhibit in Washington will include the winning artwork from all participating districts from around the country. The winning artwork is also featured on House.gov's Congressional Art Competition page. In addition, second, third, fourth and fifth-place works will be displayed in my Washington, DC and Ewing, NJ offices for one year.
Please be mindful that the competition is in person and you are required to drop your framed artwork off to the Congresswoman’s Ewing office. Artwork must have wiring on the back for hanging. We will begin accepting early submissions on March 16th, 2026 at 9:30am. The final submission deadline is April 3rd, 2026 at 5pm. We will not accept any submission past this date/time.
The Art Competition will include a 1-week Congressional Art Exhibition!
This 1-week exhibition will be displayed at Trenton Art Works, and the grand opening ceremony and competition is on Saturday, April 25, 2026. Every guest must RSVP, each artist is permitted to invite 3 guests as space is limited.
The following is a summary of the Congressional Art Competition rules: Rules
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Each entry must be accompanied by a fully executed Information/Release Form (supplied by the office of Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman).
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All participants must live within the 12th Congressional district, which can be verified by zip code via www.house.gov
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All participants must be in grades 9th-12th
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Each participant may only submit one piece of art that must meet the following criteria:
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Be two dimensional
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Be no larger than 26 inches wide by 26 inches tall by 4 inches deep (including the frame)
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Not weigh more than 15 pounds (including the frame)
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Be original in concept, design, and execution; the piece may not violate any U.S. Copyright laws.
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Be in original medium (cannot be a scanned reproduction of the painting/drawing)
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Accepted mediums for the two-dimensional artwork are as follows:
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Paintings: oil, acrylics, watercolor, etc.
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Drawings: pastels, colored pencil, pencil, charcoal, ink, markers, etc. (it is recommended that charcoal and pastel drawings be fixed)
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Collage (must be two dimensional)
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Prints: lithographs, silkscreen, block prints, etc.
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Mixed Media
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Computer Generated Art
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Photography
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Be able to be hung for the final exhibition
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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. Work entered must be in the original medium (that is, not a scanned reproduction of a painting or drawing).
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All students participating that submit their artwork to our office must email a copy of the completed student release form, including a digital photo of your artwork to NJ12ArtsComp@gmail.com by April 3rd, 2026 at 5pm. If we do not receive a digital photo, your artwork will not be considered for judging and winner selection.
While the above is a summary, all criteria must be met to be considered. Any entry that fails to meet this criteria will be subject to disqualification and will not move forward to the judging and winner selection process of the competition.
Questions about the competition or submission process? Please join us on February 13th, 2026 and March 6th, 2026 from 3-4pm for a virtual information session with our office. This session will be focused on informing students and participating school faculty. We will break down our process, what we must have from you, and how to set yourself up for success when submitting your artwork to us. To attend, please RSVP here.