Art Competition
2026 Congressional Art Competition is Now Open!
2026 Theme: America's 250th
About the Art Competition
Each spring, members of the U.S. House of Representatives sponsor a nationwide high school art competition. The Artistic Discovery Contest aims to recognize and encourage artistic talent across the United States. High school students in Texas’ 25th Congressional District can participate in this competition through Congressman Williams’ office.
The winning artwork will be displayed for one year in the Cannon Tunnel of the U.S. Capitol, where millions of visitors will see it. The Washington Exhibit will showcase artwork from all participating districts, and all winning pieces will be featured by state on the House's Congressional Art Competition page.
You can find the rules and regulations for the 2026 Congressional Art Competition here.
The REQUIRED theme for the 2026 competition is America’s 250th!
To submit artwork for the competition, students must complete two steps:
Step 1: Email Submission (Required). Students must email their submission materials to Emma Ver Hage, at Emma.Verhage@mail.house.gov.
The subject line of the email should read: Student First & Last Name – City of School – Art Competition. The email must include three items: a completed and signed Student Information & Release Form, a PDF photo of the artwork, and a note indicating whether the student plans to mail the artwork or would like to coordinate a pickup time with our staff.
Step 2: Physical Artwork Submission. In addition to the email submission, students must also submit the physical artwork.
This can be done either by mailing the artwork to the Congressman’s district office at Attn: Emma Ver Hage, 1000 Ballpark Way, Suite 310, Arlington, TX 76011, or by coordinating a pickup time with our staff. A second signed copy of the Student Information & Release Form must be securely attached to the back of the artwork for identification purposes. Contact Emma Ver Hage to schedule an alternative option.
Submissions for 2026 close at 5:00pm CT on Wednesday, April 8, 2026.