DarlynViolet Njoroge, the Winner of the 2025 Congressional Art Competition for Maryland’s 7th Congressional District, in front of her piece entitled “My True Self (My Mother’s Rose)”
Each spring, a nation-wide high school arts competition is sponsored by the Members of the U.S. House of Representatives. The Congressional Art Competition is an opportunity to recognize and encourage artistic talent in the nation, as well as in our Congressional District.
The Congressional Art Competition is open to all high school students in our District. The winning artwork of our district's competition will be displayed for one year in the U.S. Capitol. The exhibit in Washington, D.C. will include the winning artwork from all participating districts from around the country. The winning artwork is also featured on House.gov's Congressional Art Competition page.
The 2026 Competition Rules can be found by clicking here. Please be sure to THOROUGHLY review the competition rules to ensure your eligibility. If you have any questions about the rules, please contact my office.
Students must submit the Student Information and Release Form with their artwork.The 2026 Student Information and Release Form has not yet been released by the Congressional Institute. For now, please refer to the 2025 Student Information and Release Form found here. We will share the 2026 version as soon as we receive it.
Following the competition, the Office would love to share photos of the submissions we received publicly, via social media, with the press, on the official website, etc. Before sharing any submissions, our Office wants to ensure that all students and their parents or legal guardians are comfortable having photos of their artwork shared. If you are willing to have your artwork shared publicly, please provide a completed Student Media Release Form with your submission. Students 18 or older can complete and sign the form themselves. However, for students under 18, a parent or legal guardian should complete the form. The Student Media Release Form can be found by clicking here.
All artwork entries must be received by the Office of Congressman Kweisi Mfume by April 17, 2026. Students must contact Katelyn Laughman, Katelyn.Laughman@mail.house.gov or (410) 685-9199, to arrange drop-off or pick-up.