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 the 18th District. Each school may submit a designated number of entries. The over-all winner of our district's competition will be displayed for one year in the U.S. Capitol. The exhibit in Washington will also include artwork from other contest winners nation-wide.
Art works entered in the contest may be up to 28 inches by 28 inches (including the frame) and may be up to 4 inches in depth. The art work may be
- Paintings - including oil, acrylics, and watercolor
- Drawings - including pastels, colored pencil, pencil, charcoal, ink, and markers
- Collage
- Prints - including lithographs, silkscreen, and block prints
- Mixed Media
- Computer Generated Art
- Photography
All entries must be an original in concept, design and execution.
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 with the nationwide competition.
Click on the links below to learn more about the previous winners of the 18th District Congressional Art Competition:
2013 Winner - Kimberlee Parker, Havana High School
2012 Winner - Maya Jain, Dunlap High School
2011 Winner - Carolyn May, Washington Community High School
2009 Winner - Tiffanie Bell, Havana High School
If you would like more information on the annual Congressional District Art Competition - including this year's deadlines - please contact my Peoria district office at 309-671-7027.
