Congressman Pat Ryan Invites Hudson Valley High School Students to Submit Artwork for 2026 Congressional Art Competition

High school students from NY-18 are encouraged to submit original artwork to Ryan's office in Poughkeepsie

The suggested 2026 theme is "Celebrating 250 Years of America," though other themes are welcome

Winning artist's work will be displayed in the U.S. Capitol for one year

POUGHKEEPSIE, NY -Today, Congressman Pat Ryan announced that his office will begin accepting submissions for the 2026 Congressional Art Competition. High school students in the NY-18 Congressional District are encouraged to submit their original artwork to Congressman Ryan's district office at 29 N Hamilton Street Suites 112 & 113 Poughkeepsie, NY 12601. . The winning artist's work will be displayed in the halls of the United States Capitol for one year. Full details and instructions can be found on Ryan's website.

"I'm thrilled to see the artistic talent, creativity, and skill of Hudson Valley students on full display again this year," said Congressman Pat Ryan."Especially as we celebrate America's 250th birthday this year, and given the Hudson Valley's rich history, I am more excited than ever to see what our talented young participants create. This is an opportunity for students across the region to express themselves through art, and I encourage all high schoolers in NY-18 to submit entries. I'm looking forward to seeing the winning artwork every day that I walk through the hallway on the way to the Capitol!"

NY-18 students in grades 9 through 12 are invited to submit their original artwork for consideration for the 2026 Congressional Art Competition by dropping off their artwork and the completed 2026 Art Competition Student Release Form linked hereto Congressman Ryan's Poughkeepsie office at 29 N Hamilton Street Suites 112 & 113 Poughkeepsie, NY 12601 by Monday, April 20, 2026 at 5:00PM EST. The winning artwork will be displayed for one year in the United States Capitol Building and the winning artist and a guest will be invited to attend the 2026 Congressional Art Competition Winner's Celebration in Washington, D.C. on June 25, 2026. The top 5 ranked pieces will have their artwork displayed in Congressman Ryan's district office for one year.

Eligible artwork must be framed and may be up to 26 inches by 26 inches, up to 4 inches deep, and must weigh under 15 pounds. The first place winning artwork must arrive framed for display in the Capitol and still remain under the previous size and weight limits.

The following mediums are eligible for submission:

• 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

All entries 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 or image (including a painting, graphic, or advertisement) that was created by someone other than the student 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).

For the complete list of guidelines, please read the 2026 Rules and Regulations.

The Congressional Art Competition is sponsored by the Congressional Institute. Over 650,000 high schoolers have participated in the competition since it was started in 1982. For more information, please contact Congressman Ryan's office at (845) 443-2930 or visit the Art Competition's website here.

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