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.
Congressional Art Competition Entry Forms:
Deadline to submit artwork is April 8th, at 5:00 PM.
Due to the ongoing Coronavirus Pandemic, the 12th District’s Congressional Art Competition will be hosted in an online platform. Photographs of the artwork will be posted on my website in April. If you would like more information on the annual Congressional District Art Competition, including this year's dates and deadlines, please contact my office at (817)-338-0909.
The following is a summary of the Congressional Art Competition rules:
Artwork entered in the contest 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 above maximum dimensions.
- Paintings - including oil, acrylics, and watercolor
- Drawings - including pastels, colored pencil, pencil, charcoal, ink, and markers (It is recommended that charcoal and pastel drawings be fixed.)
- Collages - must be two dimensional
- Prints - including lithographs, silkscreen, and block prints
- Mixed Media - use of more than two mediums such as pencil, ink, watercolor, etc.
- Computer-generated art
- Photography
All entries must be original in concept, design and execution and may not violate any U.S. copyright laws. 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).
2021 Art Competition Winners
1st place: "Short Sighted" by Abigail Legra from VR Eaton High School
Medium: Photography
2nd place: "Loss" by Kenaniah Snider from Calvary Christian Academy
Medium: Watercolor
3rd place: "Man with Hat" by Gabriela Mascrorro from Chisholm Trail High School
Medium: Photography, photoshop
4th place: "Anxiety" by Donnell Brundage from Boswell High School
Medium: Photography
5th place: "Hope (Depression)" by Audrey Clapp from Brock High School
Medium: Graphite Pencil
Kay's Choice: "Out of the Shadows" by Adrian Gutierrez from Arlington Heights High School
Medium: White Charcoal