Dear Friend,

Each spring, a nationwide 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 artistic talent in the nation, as well as in our Congressional District. I am excited to see the creations of students in my 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.

The Artistic Discovery Contest is open to all high school students in our District (Louisiana's Second, check your representative here) and the deadline is Friday, April 18, 2025 at 5pm CT.

All entrants must print and complete a Student Release Form and attach it securely to the back of the piece. All art pieces must be delivered with the student release form to 650 Poydras St, Ste 2525 in New Orleans by the deadline on 4/18 5pm. If artists cannot drop the piece off between 9am-5pm M-F, please call the office to coordinate a drop-off time: (504) 288-3777.

The following is a summary of the Congressional Art Competition rules:

Artwork entered in the contest may be up to 28 inches by 28 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).

The rules, checklist, and release form for the competition are posted on House.gov.

If you would like more information on the annual Congressional District Art Competition please ask a question through the portal here or by calling our 650 Poydras Street office at (504) 288-3777.

Sincerely,

Troy A. Carter, Sr.
Member of Congress