NAPA, Calif. – Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-05) announced his office is now accepting entries for the 2017 Congressional Art Competition.

High school students from across the Fifth Congressional District have until April 26 to submit their artwork for consideration.

This annual competition showcases the artistic talents and ability of students in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. territories. All winning pieces are displayed in the United States Capitol.

“The Congressional Art Competition gives our students the opportunity to showcase their work on the national stage,” said Thompson. “Every year, I am blown away by the talent, creativity, and passion of our young artists. I always look forward to seeing their work and learning what inspires them, and I am eager to see this year’s submissions. I strongly encourage all of our students to submit their work.”

Since 1982, the Congressional Art Competition has given Members of Congress the opportunity to encourage the artistic talents of their young constituents. Each Member of Congress hosts a competition among high school students in his or her district.

The grand prize winner will be flown with a guest to Washington, D.C. to attend an awards ceremony in June and see their work installed in the Capitol.

All artwork must be submitted by 5 p.m. Wednesday, April 26, to one of Thompson’s District Offices:

– Napa office, 2721 Napa Valley Corporate Drive, Napa, CA 94558; telephone 707-226-9898.
– Santa Rosa office, 2300 Country Center Dr, Suite A100, Santa Rosa, CA 95403; telephone 707-542-7182.
– Vallejo office, 985 Walnut St., Vallejo, CA 94592; telephone 707-645-1888.

A panel of judges will select the winning entry from each county in our district. The grand prize winner will be chosen from those finalists, and that winner will be announced in early May.

The guidelines for the Congressional Art Competition are as follows:

– Artwork must be two-dimensional.
– Artwork can be no larger than 26” x 26” x 4” including the frame.
– If selected as the winning piece, your artwork must arrive in Washington, DC framed.
– Framed artwork should weigh no more than 15 pounds.
– 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.

Accepted mediums for two-dimensional artwork are as follows:
– Paintings: oil, acrylics, watercolor, etc.
– Drawings: colored pencil, pencil, ink, marker, pastels, charcoal (it is recommended that charcoal and pastel drawings be fixed).
– Collages: must be two-dimensional.
– Prints: lithographs, silkscreen, block prints.
– Mixed Media: use of two or more mediums, such as pencil, ink, watercolor, etc.
– Computer-generated art.
– Photographs.

Complete rules and guidelines can be found here, or at http://www.house.gov/content/educate/art_competition/pdf/2017-Rules-for-Students-and-Teachers%20.pdf .

Congressman Mike Thompson is proud to represent California’s Fifth Congressional District, which includes all or part of Contra Costa, Lake, Napa, Solano and Sonoma counties.