The West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History will begin accepting submissions for the 2025 Youth Congressional Art Competition on December 2, 2024, with a deadline of January 31, 2025. The competition is open to high school students, with exceptions for schools that have grades seven through 12 on one campus. Artwork submissions can be mailed or hand-delivered to the Culture Center.
The WVDACH is set to open the exhibition on Friday, February 21, 2025, at the Culture Center, State Capitol Complex, in Charleston.
Submitted artwork can be in any of the following categories: paintings, drawings, collages, prints, mixed media, computer-generated works and photography. Each entry must be original in concept, design and execution and may not violate U.S. copyright laws. Each student can submit up to two entries.
Artwork must be two-dimensional. Each piece can be no larger than 26 inches high, 26 inches wide and 4 inches deep. Even when framed, it must still measure no larger than these maximum dimensions. No framed piece should weigh more than 15 pounds.
The winner from each congressional district will have their artwork displayed at the United States Capitol for an entire year in the Congressional Art Competition and receive a $100 Blick Art Materials gift card. The first-place winners will have their artwork framed by the WVDACH. A $50 Blick Art Materials gift card is also awarded to five second-place winners.
Each entrant must submit the student information and release form with a teacher’s signature. Students can obtain entry forms with a complete list of rules and guidelines from their school’s art teacher(s) online at https://bit.ly/2025YouthCongressionalArt or by contacting Sidney Duncan, WVDACH exhibits coordinator, at (304) 558-0220 or Sidney.L.Duncan@wv.gov.
