Santa Fe, NM – Congressman Ben Ray Luján of New Mexico’s Third District announced today details for this year’s Congressional Art Competition.  This annual competition allows members of Congress to display the talent and creativity of their high school constituents.  The winning entry from each Congressional district will be displayed as part of an exhibit in the United States Capitol for one year.  The winner will travel to Washington, D.C. for a reception honoring the national winners.

“I am pleased to announce the details of this year’s Congressional Art Competition and look forward to seeing the creative work of New Mexico’s young artists,” Congressman Luján said.  “Their fine work will become a part of New Mexico’s rich artistic tradition that is an integral part of our culture and heritage.”

The competition is open to all high school students within the Third Congressional District of New Mexico.  All entries must be submitted to Luján’s Santa Fe district office by Wednesday, March 30, 2016 at 5 p.m.  The winner will be announced at a reception on Saturday, April 2.

2016 3rd Congressional District of New Mexico General Guidelines for Students

•    A photo of each piece of artwork should be submitted with each piece of artwork (Rep. Luján’s office will take a photo of the artwork if the student is unable to produce a photo for submission).
•    A completed 2016 Congressional Art Competition Student Information and Release Form (signed by a parent or guardian if the student is under the age of 18), must be submitted with each piece of artwork.
•    Winner need not be present at the reception to win.
•    Recognition will be given to the top placing pieces of artwork, with the winning piece being displayed in Washington, D.C.
•    Artwork must be submitted for review and judging by Wednesday, March 30, 2016 at 5 p.m. to the Santa Fe office of Rep. Luján.

Attn: Eliza Sultan
1611 Calle Lorca Suite A
Santa Fe, NM 87505
(505) 984-8950

2016 Congressional General Guidelines for Students

•    The competition is open to high school students only.  Exception may be made for schools that have 7th through 12th grades on one campus.
•    Artwork must be two-dimensional.
•    Each piece can be no larger than 28”x28”x4” (28 inches high, 28 inches wide, and 4 inches deep), including the frame.  Artwork can be submitted to Rep. Luján’s office unframed.  If the artwork is selected as the winning piece for display in D.C., it will be required to be framed and must adhere to the size guidelines.  Rep. Luján’s office will work with the winner to have the winning piece framed.
•    Framed artwork cannot weigh more than 15 lbs.
•    Accepted media for artwork are as follows:
o    Paintings: oil, acrylics, watercolor, etc.
o    Drawings: pastels, colored pencils, pencil, charcoal, ink, markers
o    Collages: must be two dimensional
o    Prints: lithographs, silkscreen, block prints
o    Mixed Media: use of more than two mediums such as pencil, ink, watercolor, etc.
o    Computer-Generated art
o    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 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).
•    Artwork will hang in the Capitol for the entire year of the exhibition and cannot be returned to the students earlier.  Students should, therefore, submit artwork they will not need for other purposes.
•    Artwork must adhere to the policy of the House Office Building Commission. In accordance with this policy, exhibits depicting subjects of contemporary political controversy or a sensationalistic or gruesome nature are not allowed. It is necessary that all artwork be reviewed by the panel chaired by the Architect of the Capitol and any portion not in consonance with the Commission’s policy will be omitted from the exhibit. The panel will make the final decision regarding the suitability of all artwork for the Congressional Art Competition exhibition in the Capitol.

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