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 competition is open to high school students (9th-12th grades). Students should enter the competition in the district where they reside, not where they attend school. Artwork must be the creation of a single student. Students may not collaborate on an entry.
The winning artwork of our district's competition will be displayed for one year in the U.S. Capitol, from June 2026 to May 2027. 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.
If you would like to enter the 2026 Art Competition through the Office of Congresswoman McBride, please review the following:
- In order to enter the competition, you must create your piece of artwork in line with the US House of Representative Rules and Regulations.
- Once you had completed your artwork, you will submit it, along with the 2026 Student Release Form to your Art Teacher. Our office will be coordinating with all high school art teachers in Delaware to secure your artwork.
- The deadline to submit your artwork is April 1, 2026. We will not be able to accept any submissions past this date.
- Please feel free to contact our Wilmington office at 302-830-2330 with any questions you may have about the 2026 Congressional Art Competition and its process.
The following is a summary of the Congressional Art Competition rules:
Artwork must be two-dimensional. Each framed artwork can be no larger than 26 inches high, 26 inches wide, 4 inches deep, and 15 pounds. If your artwork is selected as the winning piece, it must arrive in Washington, DC, framed. Even when framed, it must still measure no larger than the maximum dimensions.
- Paintings - including oil, acrylics, watercolor, etc.
- Drawings - including pastels, colored pencil, pencil, charcoal, ink, and markers (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
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/
The rules, checklist, and release form for the competition can be found on House.gov's Congressional Art Competition page.
If you have any questions, please call our office at 302-830-2330 or email DE00Art_Competition@mail.house.gov.