WASHINGTON–Congressman James Comer (R-Ky.) is now accepting applicants for the 2025 Congressional Art Competition, a contest open to high school students throughout Kentucky’s 1st Congressional District. Each year, the U.S. House of Representatives hosts this competition to recognize talented young artists from across the country.

High School students are encouraged to participate by submitting artwork for consideration. The winning artwork from the 1st  District will be displayed for one year in the U.S. Capitol building alongside other chosen artwork from across the country, while the second-place winner’s artwork will be displayed in Congressman Comer’s office for the year.
 
“Every year I am impressed with the artwork submitted to my office. It’s clear that there is no shortage of talent in Kentucky’s 1st Congressional District. If you are a student interested in showcasing your work, the Congressional Art Competition is a terrific opportunity, and I encourage as many students as possible to participateI look forward to seeing the creative skills of our local students on full display,” Congressman Comer said.
 
Artwork entered in the contest may be up to 26 inches by 26 inches, up to 4 inches in depth, and cannot weigh more than 15 pounds. If your artwork is selected as the winning piece, it must arrive framed. Types of artwork could include:
  • Paintings - including oil, acrylics, and watercolor
  • Drawings - including pastels, colored pencil, pencil, charcoal, ink, and markers (It is recommended that charcoal and pastel drawings be fixed.)
  • Collages - must be two dimensional
  • Prints - including lithographs, silkscreen, and block prints
  • Mixed Media - use of more than two mediums such as pencil, ink, watercolor, etc.
  • Computer - generated art
  • Photography 
The first-place winner, in addition to having their art hang in the Capitol all year, will receive an invitation to attend a reception in Washington, D.C. during the summer months. Past winners have also received additional benefits such as two roundtrip Southwest airline tickets to attend the reception and a $3,000 yearly scholarship to Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) or Tennessee Wesleyan College. More information on prizes for the winner will be released by the Congressional Art Competition in the coming weeks on their website.

All entries are due by Monday, April 21, 2025, and can be mailed to or dropped off at Congressman Comer’s District Offices. Please call 270-487-9509 to schedule a drop off at any of the following office locations:

200 North Main Street
Suite F
Tompkinsville, KY 42167
 
300 S 3rd St
Paducah, KY 42003
 
67 North Main Street
Madisonville, KY 42431
 
141 N. 3rd Street
Suite 5
Danville, KY 40422
 
For more information on the contest and where to drop off artwork, please visit Congressman Comer’s website at comer.house.gov/art-competition. If you have any further questions, please call Congressman Comer’s office at (202) 225-3115.