Monday, March 12, 2012

Santa Fe, NM – Congressman Ben Ray Luján of New Mexico’s Third District announced details today for this year’s Congressional Art Competition.  This annual competition allows members of Congress to display the talent and creativity of their high school constituents.  The winning entry from each Congressional district will be displayed as part of an exhibit in the United States Capitol for one year.  The winner will travel to Washington, D.C. for a reception honoring the national winners.

“The Congressional Art Competition gives New Mexico’s young and aspiring artists an opportunity to showcase their talents and have their artwork on display in the halls of Congress,” Congressman Luján said.  “New Mexico has a rich artistic tradition and it is exciting to see the next generation of artists who will build upon that legacy.  I wish all of the contestants the best of luck and look forward to seeing their works of art.”

The competition is open to all high school students within the Third Congressional District of New Mexico.  All entries must be submitted to Luján’s Santa Fe district office by Friday, April 20, 2012 at 5 p.m.  The winner will be announced at a reception on Saturday, April 28.

2012 3rd Congressional District of New Mexico General Guidelines for Students

• A photo of each piece of artwork should be submitted with each piece of artwork (Congressman Luján’s office will take a photo of the artwork if the student is unable to produce a photo for submission).
• A completed Congressional Art Competition Student Information and Release Form (signed by a parent or guardian if the student is under the age of 18), along with a completed release form, must be submitted with each piece of artwork.
• Winner need not be present to win.
• Recognition will be given to the top seven placing pieces of artwork, with the winning piece being displayed in Washington, D.C.  The remaining six pieces of artwork will be displayed for one year in the district offices of Congressman Ben R. Luján.
• Artwork must be submitted for review and judging by Friday, April 20, 2012 at 5:00 PM to the Santa Fe office of Congressman Ben R. Luján.  Participants should also contact Eliza Sultan at (505) 984-8950 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it by Monday, April 16 to confirm participation in the contest.
                       
Attn:  Eliza Sultan
         811 St. Michaels Drive, Suite 104
         Santa Fe, NM 87505
         (505) 984-8950

2012 Congressional General Guidelines for Students

• The competition is open to high school students only. Exceptions may be made for schools that have 7th through 12th grades on one campus.
• Artwork must be two-dimensional.
• Each framed piece can be no larger than 28” x 28” x 4” (28 inches high, 28 inches wide, and 4 inches deep), including the frame. Artwork can be submitted to Congressman Luján’s Art Competition unframed.  If your artwork is selected as the winning piece for display in DC, it will be required to be framed and must adhere to the size guidelines.  Congressman Luján’s office will work with the winner to have the winning piece framed.
• Artwork cannot weigh more than 15 lbs.
• Accepted media for artwork are as follows:
o Paintings: oil, acrylics, watercolor, etc.
o Drawings: pastels, colored pencil, pencil, charcoal, ink, markers
o Collage: must be two dimensional
o Prints: lithographs, silkscreen, block prints
o Mixed Media: use of more than two medias such as pencil, ink, watercolor, etc.
o Computer-Generated Art
o Photography
• Each entry 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 (other than the student’s own), painting, graphic, advertisement, or any other work produced by another person is a violation of the competition rules and will not be accepted. Work entered must be in the original medium (that is, not a scanned reproduction of a painting or drawing).
• Artwork will hang in the Capitol for the entire year of the exhibition and cannot be returned to the students earlier. Students should, therefore, submit artwork they will not need for other purposes.
• Artwork must adhere to the policy of the House Office Building Commission. In accordance with this policy, exhibits depicting subjects of contemporary political controversy or a sensationalistic or gruesome nature are not allowed. It is necessary that all artwork be reviewed by the panel chaired by the Architect of the Capitol and any portion not in consonance with the Commission’s policy will be omitted from the exhibit. The panel will make the final decision regarding the suitability of all artwork for the Congressional Art Competition exhibition in the Capitol.

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