Congressional Art Competition

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2013 Congressional Art Competition Guidelines

The 2013 Congressional Art Competition, "An Artistic Discovery," aims to showcase the artistic talents of 8th District high school students. The competition is open to students in grades nine through 12, who are residents of the 8th Congressional District. All suitable artwork will be displayed for two weeks in April at the Fitton Center for Creative Arts in Hamilton and all applicants will be invited to attend an awards reception on Wednesday, April 24th where the winners will be announced. Judging the pieces will be an independent panel of members of the art community in the 8th Congressional District.

Grand Prize: Artwork will hang in the U.S. Capitol, along with pieces from students around the country, for one year.

First Place: Artwork will hang in the Office of the Speaker of the House for one year.

*Note - Students may submit up to three pieces of artwork but will only be eligible for one award.

There will be two groups judged: 1 – Photography, and 2 – Other Permissible Media. Each group will be awarded 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and Honorable Mention(s) awards. The grand prize winner will be chosen between the two first place winners.

Permissible 2-D Media:

Paintings: oil, acrylics, watercolor, etc.
Drawings: pastels, colored pencil, pencil, charcoal, ink, markers

Collage: must be two dimensional
Prints: lithographs, silkscreen, block prints
Mixed Media: use of more than two mediums such as pencil, ink, etc.
Computer Generated Art
Photography

IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS
If you are interested in submitting a piece, please download each of the following documents for further instruction and important details.

1. 2013 Congressional Art Competition - In-Take Information
2. 2013 Congressional Art Competition – Guidelines
3.      Form Labels for Back of Artwork
4.      Release Form
5.      2013 Important Dates

2013 IMPORTANT DATES

April 15: Art In-Take Day in Troy District Office - by appointment only. Please see in-take instructions.

April 16:  Art In-Take Day in Springfield District Office - by appointment only. Please see in-take instructions.

April 17:  Art In-Take Day in West Chester District Office - by appointment only. Please see in-take instructions.

April 17: FINAL day to submit artwork. All artwork must be submitted to the Springfield, Troy, or West Chester Offices by appointment only.   Please see in-take instructions.

April 22 - May 9: All artwork will be displayed at the Fitton Center for Creative Arts.

Gallery Hours:
Monday - Thursday 10:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Friday 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Saturday 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Sunday Closed

April 24: Awards Ceremony at Fitton Center for Creative Arts from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Winning entries will be announced at 6:00 p.m. Open to all participants, teachers, families, and interested parties. Refreshments will be served.

June 1: Last day to pick up artwork from Congressman Boehner's office.

Mid-June (TBD): National Winners' Reception in Washington, D.C. Grand Prize winning artist and one guest. Frist place artwork will be displayed in the Office of the Speaker of the House.

PREVIOUS WINNERS

2012: Aimee Martini earned the 2012 Eighth District Grand Prize for her piece, “Peaceful Thoughts.” Aimee’s piece hung in the Capitol for one year along with the other District winning pieces from around the country. In addition to the Grand Prize title, she traveled to Washington, D.C., toured the Capitol, and met Congressman Boehner. Aimee attends Lakota West High School in West Chester.

Please take a minute and to check out all of the 2012 winning pieces here!

1st Place (Photography): Melissa Gaige, Cincinnati Christian School , won first Place for her photograph, "Painted On."
2nd Place (Other Media): Hannah Ridge, Ohio Virtual Academy, won second place for her piece, “Audrey.”
2nd Place (Photography): Marshanna McClellan, Fairfield High School, won second place for her piece, “Chevy.”

3rd Place (Other Media): Taylor Mitchell, Miami Valley Career Technology Center, won third place for her piece, “I Like Turtles.”

3rd Place (Photography): Breanne Lyon, Cincinnati Christian School, won third place for her piece, “Pear.”

Honorable Mention (Other Media): Samantha Armes, Lakota East High School; Taylor Bellomy, Miami Valley Career Technology Center; Chelsea Brown, Miami Valley Career Technology Center; Heather Linger, Lakota West High School; Rachel Tomasic, Lakota West High School; and Andreana Urso, Fairfield High School.

Honorable Mention (Photography): Benjamin Armour, Lakota East High School; Amanda Baker, Options Academy - The Arts; and David McCall, Miami Valley Career Technology Center.

2011: Rachel Leathers from Miami Valley Career Technology Center took home the grand prize for her piece, “Creative Thinking.” Following the announcement of Rachel Leathers as the 2011 8th District Grand Prize winner, Rachel and her family traveled to Washington, D.C. for the 2011 Congressional Art Competition National Reception.While in Washington, Rachel met with Congressman Boehner, toured the Capitol and viewed her piece, “Creative Thinking,” hanging in the Capitol. Rachel graduated from Miami Valley Career Technology Center in 2011 and plans to attend Savannah College of Art & Design.

1st Place (Photography): Benjamin Armour, Lakota East High School, won first place for his piece, “Ash Cave.”
2nd Place (Other Media): Jacquelyn Wagner, Miami Valley Career Technology Center, won second place for her piece, “Harmony.”
2nd Place (Photography): Nancy Chen, Franklin Monroe High School, won second place for her piece, “Iron Stone Whisper.”

3rd Place (Other Media): Thu Do, Lakota West High School, won third place for her piece, “Ninja.”

3rd Place (Photography): Kyla Roberts, Options Academy the Arts, won third place for her piece, “Untitled.”

Honorable Mention (Other Media): Taylor Bellomy, Miami Valley Career Technology Center; Ryan Birr, Carroll High School; Gayle Cobb, Middletown Christian School; Elizabeth Fair, Troy High School; Aisha Hull, Troy High School, Ema Kock, Lakota West High School; Bridget Mescher, Miami Valley Career Technology Center; Joshua Mossman, Fairfield High School; Megan Peters, Franklin Monroe High School; and Carissa Wilson, Dayton Christian School.

Honorable Mention (Photography): Madison Perry, Twin Valley South High School; and Michelle Spencer, Troy High School.

2010: Megan Long from Monroe High School took home first place for her photograph, “The Universe.”

2^nd Place: Elizabeth Michaels, Hamilton High School, won second place for her acrylic piece, “Noah.”
3^rd Place: Autumn Sierra-Holloway, Monroe High School, won third place for her acrylic on canvas piece, “Poison Apple.”
Honorable Mention: Carissa Wilson, Dayton Christian High School; Sarah Moderbacher, Ross High School; Taylor Ingle, Hamilton High School; Brian Baltis, Lakota East High School; Megan Peters, Franklin Monroe High School; Antony Sanders, Lakota East High School; Victoria Bishop, Franklin Monroe High School; Tanner Bornermann, Options Academy for the Arts; Heavena Bristow, Lakota East High school; and Shannon Henderson, Lakota West Freshman School.

2009: First place was awarded to Megan Long from Monroe High School for "Vein," a photograph of the artists' eye.

2nd Place: Will Doughman, Lakota West High School, for "9/11." Medium: Fingerprint and ink.
3rd Place: Rachael Engel, Chaminade Julienne High School, for "Blizzard." Medium: Acrylic.
Honorable Mention: Adam Wacek, Lakota West High School; Marisa Steinbach, Lakota West High School; Megan Peters, Franklin-Monroe High School; Mackenzie Marker, Greenville High School; Monica Miller, Chaminade Julienne High School; Britley Ritz, Greenville High School; Ashley Dirksen, Marion Local High School; Allise Seiler, Cincinnati Christian; Allison Lowe, Lakota East High School; Jenna Galletta, Lakota West High School.

2008: First place went to Lyndsey Vu, Lakota West High School, for “Looking Up,” which was done with ink using her fingerprints

2nd Place: Tatum Berry, Lakota West High School, for “Floating Chair." Medium: NuPastel.
3rd Place: Kelsie Garrett, senior at Butler Technology Center for “Hollywood.” Medium: watercolor/black acrylic paint.
Honorable Mention: Maggie Hinkle, junior at Monroe High School for “The Bird & The Bee.” Medium: Photography.

Honorable Mention: Chris Crabtree, senior at Butler Tech’s Options Academy – The Arts for “The Old Butler County Courthouse.” Medium: Digital Photography.

2007: First place went to then-Lakota High School senior Jennifer Whitacre for acrylic painting titled "Forest Nymph."

2nd Place: Kyle Lyons, Troy High School; for “Atom Heart Cows.” Medium: printmaking.
3rd Place: Kelsey Horst, Lakota West High School, for “The Real Me.” Medium: Adobe Photoshop 7.0.
Honorable Mention: Amanda Weismann, Lakota West High School, for “Look Right Thru Me.” Medium: oil pastel.
Honorable Mention: Justin Fiora, Options Academy – The Arts, for “Traces of Traci.” Medium: chalk and charcoal.

Go to the PHOTO GALLERY to view pictures from previous art competitions!