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Congressional Art Competition

Beginning in 1982, the United States House of Representatives has sponsored the Congressional Art Competition, An Artistic Discovery for high school students across our nation. Since then, over 650,000 high school students have been involved in the nationwide competition. The annual competition provides an opportunity for students across the country to exhibit their artwork and receive national recognition. The competition also symbolizes the important role that the arts play in American society. 

The first-place winning entry from each congressional district is displayed in the corridor tunnel of the U.S. Capitol Building for one year, where it is seen by thousands of people. The first-place winner and a family member will also be invited to attend a special ceremony with other young artists from around the country in Washington, D.C. in June and receive a $250 Scholarship.

The competition will focus on all high school students residing within U.S. Representative Panetta's 19th Congressional District, which comprises portions of Monterey, Santa Cruz, Santa Clara, and San Luis Obispo Counties. 

Each student is eligible to submit one (1) work of visual art. Artwork entered in the contest must be original in execution, may be up to 26 inches by 26 inches, 4 inches in depth, and cannot weigh more than 15 pounds. 

The artwork may be:

  • Paintings: oil, acrylics, watercolor, etc.
  • Drawings: colored pencil, pencil, ink, marker, pastels, charcoal (It is recommended that charcoal and pastel drawings 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

Artwork must be submitted in person to any of my district offices in South San Jose, Santa Cruz, Monterey, or Paso Robles no later than Friday, April 12, 2024. 

Digital submissions will not be accepted.

Before submitting your artwork, please review the full rules and regulations for the Congressional Art Competition.

Each entrant must submit a Student Information and Release FormThe form requires a description of the artwork, which should be detailed, clearly identifying the major elements of the work.

A reception and awards ceremony will be held in May of 2024.

 

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2024 Congressional Art Competition Flyer

WINNERS OF THE 2023 CONGRESSIONAL ART COMPETITION

Students from across California’s 19th Congressional District, which includes San Luis Obispo, Monterey, Santa Cruz, and Santa Clara Counties, submitted original pieces of artwork to the 2023 Congressional Art Competition.  Of the submissions, Representative Panetta recognized nine outstanding pieces by local students during a reception that took place in Capitola on May 7, 2023.

The full list of winners and honorees for the 2023 Congressional Art Competition are below:

  • First Place: Janica Hannah Soro, Pacific Grove High School, “Welcome to the Neighborhood”
  • Second Place: Dening Sun, Notre Dame High School, “Struggle for a Home Long Lost”
  • Third Place: Diep Van Pham Nguyen, Independence High School, “Visions of Iridescent Flames”
  • Best in Show for Digital Artwork: An Vu, Independence High School, “A Mother’s Touch”
  • Best in Show for Pencil Drawing: Emily Chang, Valley Christian High School, “Grimes”
  • Best in Show for Painting: Caitlin Bayaca, Aptos High School, “Clockwork”
  • Best in Show for Photographer: Mary Henderson, Soquel High School, “Yaren”
  • Honorable Mention for Composition: Vivian Ming, Pacific Grove High School, “Friendly Faces”
  • Honorable Mention for Technical Skill: Selina Ge, Leland High School, “Intergenerational Trauma”
     
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2023 first place winner

First Place Winner, Janica Hannah Soro’s piece titled “Welcome to the Neighborhood”

 

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2023 second place winner

Second Place Winner, Dening Sun’s piece titled “Struggle for a Home Long Lost”

 

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2023 third place winner

Third Place Winner, Diep Van Pham Nguyen’s piece titled “Visions of Iridescent Flames”

 

Previous Winners: