Congressional Art Competition Open To Local Teens

DELAWARE COUNTY, PA — Students in ninth through 12th grades who live in the 5th Congressional District are invited to submit their original art work to the 40th Annual Congressional Art Competition.

Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05) is now accepting submissions for the competition from local teen constituents.

Pennsylvania's 5th Congressional District covers all of Delaware County, South Philadelphia, and of lower Montgomery County.

Participating students are offered an opportunity to highlight their talent, and the winner will have their artwork displayed in the United States Capitol for an entire year.

Artwork can be submitted in person at Scanlon's district office from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday or mailed.

Submission will be accepted from April 18 through April 29.

Artwork must be two-dimensional and be no larger than 26 inches high, 26 inches wide, and 4 inches deep.

The work selected as the winning piece must arrive in Washington, D.C. framed.

Even when framed, it must still measure no larger than the above maximum dimensions.

No framed piece should weigh more than 15 pounds.

• Paintings: oil, acrylics, watercolor, etc.
• Drawings: colored pencil, pencil, ink, marker, pastels, charcoal
• 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. For more information on copyright laws, visit the Scholastic website.

There is no limit per school, submissions are limited to one piece of artwork per student.

Winning works are displayed for one year in the Cannon Tunnel of the U.S. Capitol.

"Art is a powerful platform for free expression and can be a moving source of hope and inspiration," Scanlon said. "Each year, I look forward to this opportunity to view our community through the eyes of our student constituents."

The Congressional Art Competition began in 1982 to provide an opportunity for members of Congress to encourage and recognize the artistic talents of their young constituents. Since then, over 650,000 high school students have been involved in the nationwide competition.

A completed Student Release Form must accompany each submission. Artwork can be submitted in person or via mail at Congresswoman Scanlon’s district office: Rita Waters, 2501 Seaport Drive, BH230, Chester, PA 19103

More information on the Congressional Art Competition, including a full list of competition guidelines, is available online here.

Contact Carolyn Asher at carolyn.asher@mail.house.gov or call Scanlon's district office at 610-626-2020 with questions.