Front view of the Capitol

Congressional Art Competition

Each spring, a nationwide 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 artistic talent in the nation, as well as in our Congressional District. Congressman Carter is excited to see the creations of students in his district!

The winning artwork of our 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.

The Artistic Discovery Contest is open to all high school students in our District (Louisiana's Second, check your representative here). 

All entrants must print and complete a Student Release Form and attach it securely to the back of the piece. 


All entries must be submitted to either 650 Poydras St, Suite 2525, New Orleans, LA 70130 or River Parishes Community College Gonzales Technical Training Center, 925 W. Edenborne Pkwy, Rm T117, Gonzales, LA 70737. The specific deadline for submissions to be delivered to our local offices is April 20, 2026. 

The following is a summary of theCongressional Art Competition rules:

Artwork entered in the contest may be up to 28 inches by 28 inches, may be up to 4 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 posted on House.gov.

If you have questions, please call (504) 288-3777.