Local High School Students Can Compete in Congressional Art Competition

Press Release

Congressman Hal Rogers invites all high school students in Kentucky's Fifth Congressional District to participate in the 2021 Congressional Art Competition. One student will be selected to represent Southern and Eastern Kentucky in Washington, DC.

The winning artwork from each congressional district is displayed in the U.S. Capitol Building for one year and the artist will be recognized during a national awards ceremony. The winning artist may also be eligible for a college scholarship.

"We have incredibly talented young artists in our region and this competition puts their work in the national spotlight, where it belongs," said Congressman Rogers. "I take great pride in seeing the winning artwork from our region on display in the Capitol Building."

Last year, Madison Harmon from Somerset High School won the district competition with her creative, acrylic collage featuring President Abraham Lincoln wearing a mask in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. Harmon's artwork was entitled "Change Will Come."

Artwork will be accepted online at halrogers.house.gov until Monday, May 3, 2021.

Accepted mediums for the two-dimensional artwork are as follows:

* 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

The artwork must be two-dimensional, cannot exceed 26" x 26" x 4" and cannot weigh more than 15 pounds. The winning artwork must be framed by the artist before being displayed in the U.S. Capitol Building.

Students must attend high school in Kentucky's Fifth Congressional District, which includes the following counties: Bell, Boyd, Breathitt, Carter, Clay, Elliott, Floyd, Harlan, Jackson, Johnson, Knott, Knox, Laurel, Lawrence, Lee, Leslie, Letcher, Lincoln, Magoffin, Martin, McCreary, Morgan, Owsley, Perry, Pike, Pulaski, Rockcastle, Rowan, Wayne and Whitley.

For more information, contact Danielle Smoot at 606-679-8346 or danielle.smoot@mail.house.gov.

The Congressional Art Competition, sponsored by the Congressional Institute, was initiated by Congress in 1982 to provide an opportunity for members of Congress to encourage and recognize the artistic talents of young people living in their districts. More than 650,000 students have participated in the competition over the last 30 years.

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