Higgins invites high school students to participate in Congressional Art Competition

Congressman Brian Higgins is inviting local high school students to participate in the annual Congressional Art Competition. This nationwide contest highlights the significance of art education in schools by showcasing the work of the country’s most gifted young artists. The competition, initiated by Congress in 1982, includes hundreds of thousands of high school students from across the nation.

“This is a great opportunity to feature the incredible creativity and talent of high school students here in Western New York,” Higgins said. “We encourage local young artists to participate.”

Interested students must submit their original artwork by 5 p.m. Wednesday, April 1. Art pieces can be delivered to Higgins’ office at 726 Exchange St., Suite 601, Buffalo.

Submitted artwork must be framed and can be no larger than 26 inches high, 26 inches wide and 4 inches deep. Accepted mediums for the two-dimensional artwork include:

• Paintings: oil, acrylics, watercolor, etc.
• Drawings: colored pencil, pencil, ink, marker, pastels, charcoal
• Collages: must be two-dimensional
• Prints: lithographs, silkscreen, block prints
• Mixed media: use of more than two mediums such as pencil, ink, watercolor, etc.
• Computer-generated art
• Photographs

Additional guidelines and a student information and release form, which must be submitted with the artwork, are available on the congressman’s website: https://higgins.house.gov/services/art-competition.

All submissions will be on public display in the first-floor lobby of the Larkin at Exchange Building from April 10 through May 4. Beginning Monday April 20, all submissions will be posted in a virtual gallery on Higgins’ website where students, family members, friends, and the general public will be able to vote on their favorite pieces online until Friday, May 1.

The grand prize-winning piece will be sent to Washington, D.C., to be displayed in the U.S. Capitol building. The winning student and a guest will also receive complimentary airline tickets from Southwest Airlines to attend a ribbon-cutting ceremony with other high school artists from across the country at the end of June.

All students will be recognized and additional prizes will be presented at an award reception for teachers, students and their families at 6 p.m. Monday, May 4, in the display area on the first-floor lobby of the Larkin at Exchange Building.

Students, parents and teachers with additional questions can call Higgins’ office at 716-852-3501.