Art Competition

The Office of Congressman Glenn Ivey is pleased to present the 2026 and 2025 Congressional Art Competition Virtual Art Gallery

I am proud to participate in the annual Congressional Art Competition, a nationwide initiative that celebrates the creativity, talent, and artistic achievement of high school students from Maryland’s Fourth Congressional District. Hosted by the Congressional Institute since 2009, the Congressional Art Competition has engaged more than 650,000 high school students across the country since its inception. Each year, students submit original artwork for consideration by a panel of local judges.

Who can participate

To be eligible, students must live in or attend a school in Maryland's Fourth Congressional District (MD-04). Please use the Congressional Representative finder on house.gov to verify your member of Congress.

Application opens: mid-February

Submission deadline: April 1st. The winner is announced in May.

The winning artwork from each congressional district is displayed for one year in the U.S. Capitol, where it is viewed by millions of visitors. In addition, winning students are invited to a national reception in Washington, D.C. and receive a waiver of the Arts Act copyright registration fee, allowing them to formally copyright their work. For official rules and guidelines visit www.congressionalinstitute.org.

Past Winners

2026 Winner, Gabriella Portillo, Back to Reality

2025 Winner, Ibukun Akinterinwa, Nigerian Lady

2024 Winner, London Harps, Baby Bear

2023 Winner, Jasmine Spencer, Windows to the Soul

Artwork Guidelines and Rules

To enter your artwork in the Congressional Art Competition, please refer to the following rules as released for the 2026 competition. All entries must be original in concept, design, and execution. The piece may be up to 26 inches by 26 inches (including the frame) and may be up to 4 inches in depth. Even when framed, it must still measure no larger than the above maximum dimensions. No framed piece should weigh more than 15 pounds.

The artwork may be:

Paintings - including oil, acrylics, and watercolor
Drawings - including pastels, colored pencil, pencil, charcoal, ink, and markers
Collage
Prints - including lithographs, silkscreen, and block prints
Mixed Media
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.

If you would like more information on the annual Congressional District Art Competition, contact our District Office at iveyrsvp@mail.house.gov or 240-906-6262.