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2021 Congressional Art Competition

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Art Show Web Logo

WELCOME TO THE CONGRESSIONAL ART COMPETITION FOR COLORADO'S FIFTH DISTRICT!

The 2021 Congressional Art Competition for Colorado's Fifth District has brought together students from 13 schools to showcase their very best in creativity and technique. The Congressional Art Competition is a decades-long tradition meant to encourage and recognize young artists' rich talent throughout the 5th District. Each year, Congressman Lamborn invites students, grades 9 to 12, from public and private schools and home-schooled students in the 5th Congressional District to submit their artwork for a juried show.

Our show awards place winners for the categories of photography, paintings, prints, computer-generated art, mixed media, drawings, and collages. This year's gallery is displayed at the Colorado Springs Airport from April 8th to May 7th (2021) and open to the public. We invite you to visit the show in person or view the winner for the various categories in our online galleries below. Students whose submissions place in their respective categories will receive scholarships, supplies, and gift cards from our generous community partners: Meininger's Art Supply, El Paso County Republican Women, Academy Art & Frame Company, The Broadmoor/ Cog Railway, Denver Art Museum, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, Mike's Camera, Kenneth Shanika Fine Art, Chic-fil-A, Colorado Springs Fine Art Center & Bemis School of Art, the City of Colorado Springs, and Colorado Springs Airport, and Southwest Airlines.

The "Best of Show" winner's artwork is displayed for one year along the hallway between the Cannon House Office Building and the United States Capitol Building for Members of Congress, their staff, and thousands of visitors to view.

Our "People's Choice" gallery will be hosted online, below, and decided through an online vote.

Congressman Lamborn would like to thank our community partners for making this year's competition possible with their generous donations. We are always impressed with the skill and talent observed in student's submissions every year and recognize that it is because of the hard work and dedication of educators in our community that students thrive and grow as artists.

Best of ThemeBest of Show

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Art Comp Divider Bar
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Categories
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Photography Category

Photography

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Drawings Category

Drawing

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Collages Category

Collages

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PPL Choice Gallery

Welcome to the 2021 Congressional Art Competition "People's Choice" virtual gallery. This year's young artists have submitted their exemplary artwork to our office. They have been juried by a panel of highly qualified judges (from the 5th Congressional) and placed in their respective categories. Our "People's Choice" gallery included pieces that placed in the juried show, received a meritorious award, or been chosen as a "staff favorite" from a member of Congressman Lamborn's office. This year's "People's Choice" award winner will receive various prizes, including gift cards, scholarships, and art supplies.

To cast your vote for this year's "People's Choice" award, click here to be taken to our virtual gallery.

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HISTORY OF THE CONGRESSIONAL ART COMPETITION AND THE CONGRESSIONAL INSTITUTE

Each spring, the Congressional Institute sponsors a nationwide high school visual art competition to recognize and encourage artistic talent in the nation and in each congressional district. Since the Artistic Discovery competition began in 1982, more than 650,000 high school students have participated. Students submit artistic entries to their representative's office, and panels of district artists select the winning entries. Winners are recognized both in their district and at an annual awards ceremony in Washington, DC.

The winning works are displayed for one year at the U.S. Capitol. Accepted mediums for the two-dimensional artwork are as follows:

  • Paintings: oil, acrylics, watercolor, etc.

  • Drawings: colored pencil, pencil, ink, marker, pastels, charcoal (It is recommended that charcoal and pastel drawings be fixed.)

  • 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: created with a computer

  • Photography: taking and processing photographs