Congressional Art Competition
Each spring, a nationwide high school arts competition is sponsored by the Members of the U.S. House of Representatives. The Congressional Art Competition is an opportunity to recognize and encourage artistic talent in the nation, as well as in our congressional district. This competition, known as An Artistic Discovery, is open to all high school students in the 5th District. The overall 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 nationwide.
The deadline for submissions for the 2026 competition is Monday, February 9, 2026. For entry forms, please contact Laura Smith at the contact information below. Artwork and entry forms must be mailed or hand-delivered to:
Huntsville Museum of Art
Attention: Laura E. Smith
300 Church Street South
Huntsville, Alabama 35801
(256) 535-6372
or,
Museum Academy Classrooms
8:30 am - 5:00 pm
Monday-Friday
Congressional Art Competition Guidelines
For years, the Huntsville Museum of Art has collected, juried, and displayed the artwork for the Congressional Art Competition during their annual Exhibition for Youth Art Month, and will be doing so again for 2026. In addition to the overall "Best of Show" winner, there will be Honorable Mention winners. One Honorable Mention winner will be displayed in Congressman Strong’s Capitol Hill office, and the remaining Honorable Mention winners will be displayed in the District office for one year. Best in Class and Honorable Mention winners will be notified by our office once the artwork has been judged.
The "Best of Show" and Honorable Mention winners’ student artwork will be on display on Sunday, March 8, through March 29, 2026.
Artwork entered in the contest may be up to 26 inches by 26 inches (including the frame) and may be up to 4 inches in depth. All entries must be original in concept, design, and execution.
The artwork may be any of the following:
* Paintings - including oil, acrylics, and watercolor
* Drawings - including pastels, colored pencils, pencils, charcoal, ink, and markers
* Collage
* Prints - including lithographs, silkscreen, and block prints
* Mixed Media
* Computer Generated Art
* Photography
For more information about the Congressional Art Competition, please click HERE