REP. MIKE THOMPSON ANNOUNCES 2015 CONGRESSIONAL ART COMPETITION
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-5) today announced the beginning of the 2015 Congressional Art Competition and urged high school students in California's 5th Congressional District to enter their artwork. The annual competition showcases the artistic talents and abilities of students in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. territories. The 2015 competition is open to all high school students in California's 5th District. The deadline to submit artwork is 5:00 p.m., Monday March 30th, 2015.
"Each year, the Congressional Art Competition showcases our community's talented young artists, and it is an excellent occasion for us to support and celebrate them. I always enjoy seeing the outstanding work from students across our district, and I am eager to see this year's submissions," said Thompson. "I encourage all our eligible students to submit their work."
Since 1982, the Congressional Art Competition has given Members of Congress the opportunity to encourage the artistic talents of their young constituents. Each Member of Congress hosts a competition among high school students in his or her district. The winning artwork from each district is then displayed in the United States Capitol for one year. In addition, the grand prize winner will be flown with a guest to Washington, D.C. to attend an awards ceremony in June.
Santa Rosa's Carissa Nacol of ArtQuest/Santa Rosa High School in Sonoma County won last year's competition for her work titled "Frustration". Nacol's work is currently on display in the U.S. Capitol.
All artwork must be submitted by 5:00 p.m., Monday, March 30th to one of Congressman Thompson's district offices:
- 1040 Main St., Suite 101, Napa, CA 94559
- 985 Walnut Ave., Vallejo, CA 94592
- 2300 Country Center Dr. Suite A100, Santa Rosa, CA 95403
A panel of judges will select the winning entry from each county in our 5th District. Out of those finalists, the judges will select the grand prize winner. Their decision will be announced in early May.
Guidelines for the Congressional Art Competition include the following:
- Artwork must be two-dimensional.
- Each piece can be no larger than 28" x 28" x 4" (28 inches high, 28 inches wide, and 4 inches deep), including the frame.
- Framed artwork cannot weigh more than 15 lbs.
- Acceptable mediums for artwork are as follows:
- Paintings: oil, acrylics, watercolor, etc.
- Drawings: pastels, colored pencil, pencil, charcoal, ink, markers
- 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
- Photography
- All submissions must be accompanied by a completed Student Information/Release Form (PDF).
Please contact Congressman Thompson's local office in Santa Rosa at (707) 542-7182, in Napa at (707) 226-9898 or in Vallejo at (707) 645-1888 if you require more information or have any questions.
Complete guidelines are also available here: 2015 Art Competition Guidelines for Students (PDF).
Congressman Mike Thompson is proud to represent California's 5th Congressional District, which includes all or part of Contra Costa, Lake, Napa, Solano and Sonoma Counties. He is a senior member of the House Ways and Means Committee and the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. Rep. Thompson is also a member of the fiscally conservative Blue Dog Coalition and chairs the bipartisan, bicameral Congressional Wine Caucus.
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