Congressional Art Competition
Each spring, a nation-wide high school arts competition is sponsored by the Members of the U.S. House of Representatives. The Artistic Discovery Contest is an opportunity to recognize and encourage the artistic talent in the nation, as well as in our Congressional District.
The Artistic Discovery Contest is open to all high school students in our District. The winning artwork of our district's competition will be displayed for one year in the U.S. Capitol. 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.
This year’s optional theme is “America the Beautiful: 250 Years of Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.” Submissions, including the entry form, may be mailed or hand-delivered to the Rochester office at 2746 Superior Drive NW, Suite 100, Rochester, MN 55901, or the New Ulm office at 110 N. Minnesota St., Suite 5, New Ulm, MN 56073.
The following is a summary of the Congressional Art Competition rules:
Artwork must be the creation of a single student. Students may not collaborate on an entry.
Artwork entered in the contest must be two dimensional, may be up to 26 inches by 26 inches, may be up to 4 inches in depth, and not weigh more than 15 pounds. If your artwork is selected as the winning piece, it must arrive framed and must still measure no larger than the maximum dimensions.
- Paintings: oil, acrylics, watercolor, etc.
- Drawings: colored pencil, pencil, ink, marker, pastels, charcoal (Charcoal and pastel must be fixed.)
- 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
Each entry must be original in concept, design, and execution and may not violate U.S. copyright laws. Any entry copied from an existing photo or image (including a painting, graphic, or advertisement) created by someone other than the student violates competition rules and will not be accepted. For more information on copyrights, we recommend you visit: https://www.artandwriting.org/awards/how-to-enter/copyright-plagiarism/
Artwork must adhere to the policy of the House Office Building Commission (the Commission). In accordance with this policy, exhibits depicting subjects of contemporary political controversy or a sensationalistic or gruesome nature are not allowed.
Artwork must be submitted to Rep. Finstad's office by 5:00PM CT on Friday, April 24, 2026.
Below are additional resources for students and teachers:
If you would like more information on the annual Congressional District Art Competition, including this year's deadlines, please submit the following form.
Art Competition
Note: Fields marked with an * are required.
