Congressional Art Competition
The Congressional Art Competition is an annual bipartisan tradition where high school students from across the nation compete to display their artwork in the United States Capitol.
The 2026 competition is finished, and an awards ceremony was held on April 24, 2026 at the Hope Center for Arts & Technology in Sharon, Pa.
The Winners of the 2026 Congressional Art Competition for Pennsylvania's 16th Congressional District are:
- 1st Place: "Wonderland" by Ryker Riccadonna, Neshannock High School
- 2nd Place: "The Beholder's Eye" by Avery Marino, Girard High School
- 3rd Place: "Primary Place" by Harsha Vardhni Murali Santhakumari – Fairview High School
- Honorable Mention – Midnight Watch – Ellie Baker – Sharpsville High School
WATCH Rep. Kelly's message encouraging students to participate in this year's competition!
For the 2026 Congressional Art Competition, please see the rules and guidelines that participating artists were required to adhere to below:
- The competition is open to high school students. Students should enter the competition in the district they reside, not where they attend school.
- Artwork must be the creation a single student. Students may not collaborate on an entry.
- Artwork must be two-dimensional. Each framed artwork can be no larger than 26 inches high, 26 inches wide, and 4 inches deep.
- 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 above maximum dimensions. No framed piece should weigh more than 15 pounds.
- Accepted mediums for the two-dimensional artwork are as follows:
- Paintings: oil, acrylics, watercolor, etc.
- Drawings: colored pencil, pencil, ink, marker, pastels, charcoal (Charcoal and pastel must 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
- Each entry must be original in concept, design, and execution and may not violate 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.
- Artwork that is potentially inappropriate for display in the Capitol will not be considered. This determination will be made by our panel of judges.
If you are interested in participating in next year's competition, below are several documents that will help interested students and their teachers start the process.
- Rules for Students and Teachers
- Art Submission Check List
- Student Information and Release Form
- A Guide to Copyright and Plagiarism
- Student Art Competition Form
The artwork for the winning student from each Congressional district will be displayed in the Cannon House Office Building Tunnel at the U.S. Capitol complex for 11 months. The Congressional Art Competition is an annual contest sponsored by the Congressional Institute to encourage and foster arts and culture among high school students. Each year, House Members may honor one high school student from their districts by selecting a piece of artwork for inclusion in an exhibit at the U.S. Capitol. Millions of visitors to the U.S. Capitol view this exhibit each year.
For further information or questions about the program, you may contact Representative Kelly's Congressional Art Competition Coordinator Julie Swartfager at Julie.Swartfager@mail.house.gov or at 724-282-2557.