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Higgins announces details for annual Congressional Art Competition

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Thu, Mar 3rd 2016 03:40 pm

High school students invited to participate; winning piece displayed at U.S. Capitol

Congressman Brian Higgins is inviting local high school students to participate in the annual Congressional Art Competition. All artwork submitted by students in Higgins' district will be featured in a public gallery in the Larkin Building and available for viewing online. The winning piece will be displayed in the tunnel to the U.S. Capitol.

"The artwork we receive from Western New York's young artists each year is impressive," Higgins said. "We look forward to highlighting their talent in a local display and are proud to bring the winning piece to Washington, D.C., for all U.S. Capitol visitors to see."

Interested students must submit their original artwork by 5 p.m. on Friday, April 15. Art pieces can be delivered to Higgins' Buffalo office at 726 Exchange St., Suite 601, Buffalo. 

Submitted artwork must be framed and can be no larger than 28 inches high, 28 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 

All submissions will be on display from April 22 through May 1 in a public gallery located in the Larkin at Exchange Building, 726 Exchange St. From April 22-28, the artwork will be featured in a virtual gallery on Higgins' website, where the public will be invited to vote for their favorite piece. On Sunday, May 1, Higgins will host a ceremony and reception for teachers, students and their families, where the winners will be announced.

Students presenting artwork for entry must also submit an information and release form, which Higgins' office has provided to high schools in his district. The forms and competition guidelines are also available on his website at: http://higgins.house.gov/services/art-competition.

One piece from each congressional district will hang in the Cannon Tunnel of the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, D.C., for one year. The winning student is also invited to attend a ribbon-cutting awards ceremony in the Capitol. Southwest Airlines will provide round-trip airfare for two.

The competition, initiated by Congress in 1982, includes hundreds of thousands of high school students from across the nation.

Students, parents and teachers with additional questions can contact Evelyn Williams in Higgins' office at 716-852-3501 or [email protected].

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