Each spring, a nation-wide 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 the artistic talent in the nation, as well as in our Congressional District,” according to a statement on the website for U. S. Congressman Wesley Hunt, who represents Texas 38th Congressional District.

The Artistic Discovery Contest is open to all high school students in the 38th Congressional District. The winning artwork of Hunt’s 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 at house.gov/educators-and-students/congressional-art-competition.

This year's theme is “Texas Wildlife and Plants.” The competition deadline will be Monday, April 7, 2025.

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

Artwork entered in the contest may be up to 26 inches by 26 inches, may be up to four 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 scheduled to be posted in early February on House.gov.

For more information on the annual Congressional District Art Competition, including this year's deadlines, please go to hunt.house.gov/services/art-competition.