Art Competition
This teacher packet includes the guidelines and information you will need in selecting and submitting the entries from your school. If you have questions, please contact Congressman Turner’s office at (937) 225-2843.
All qualified entries will be due in Congressman Mike Turner’s Dayton District office on or before Wednesday, March 13th, 2024, by 12:00 p.m. The grand-prize winner and runners-up will be announced at the ceremony and each participant will be honored with a Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition from Congressman Mike Turner. The Certificate of Recognition will be mailed to all art teachers so you are able to distribute them to your student participants. The exhibit this year will be in person. The artwork will be available for viewing at the Dayton Art Institute. Additional information on the exhibit will be provided as it becomes available.
Scholarships may be provided to the first, second and third place finishers. Depending on the first place winner’s choice, there may be either three or four remaining scholarships, as only the competition winner is eligible for the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) scholarship. The second and third place winners may choose from the remaining scholarships. Competition winners’ decisions must be declared to Congressman Mike Turner’s Office, within one month of the conclusion of the contest.
If there are scholarships unclaimed, they may be offered through a lottery selection to those students who received an honorable mention. More detailed scholarship information will be provided in a follow-up letter.
2024 Congressional Art Competition
An Artistic Discovery
Sponsored by Congressman Mike Turner, 10th Congressional District
- This competition is open to high school students (grades 9, 10, 11 and 12).
- The student must attend school that is within the 10th Congressional District.
- Artwork is limited to one (1) entry per student.
- Artwork must be two-dimensional.
- The artwork must be hang ready (it can be matted or framed for display purposes if desired).
- The hang-ready artwork must not exceed framed dimensions of 24”wide x 24”high x 4”deep to allow for potential reframing if chosen as the grand prize winner.
- All artwork must be delivered/picked up by the teacher only at: Dayton District Office, 120 W Third St. Ste 305, Dayton, Ohio 45402 – (937) 225-2843
Drop off Artwork ........ Now (by appointment) through 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, March 13th, 2024
Exhibition on View ........................................ Wednesday, March 20th, 2024 – Sunday, April 14th, 2024
Announcement of Winners .......................................................................................... Sunday, April 14th, 2024
Pick Up Artwork........................................................................................................ Wednesday, April 17th, 2024
Congressman Turner's Office
Do not enter any art that is needed for another show prior to this date.
We will NOT take down art prior to pick up date.
Congressman Turner’s district office can also provide assistance with the pickup of artwork if necessary. Pick up can be scheduled up through noon on Wednesday, March 13th, 2024. For information, contact Congressman Turner’s office at (937) 225-2843.
Each piece of artwork must be accompanied by two (2) completed Student Information/Release Forms. One of these forms must be taped to the back of the artwork. Please see the last page for availability and accessibility of the forms.
Two copies of the Student Release Form completed legibly and accurately MUST be completed and accompany each student entry. A copy is provided to this packet
Artwork will NOT be accepted unless the following criteria is met:
- Two copies of a completed Student Information/Release form have been submitted and are legible and accurate.
- Please make sure that one copy of the Student Information/Release Form is attached to the back of the student’s artwork. The second form should be attached to accompanying forms and placed in a folder.
Uniform labels will be created by Congressman Turner’s Office from the information provided. Please check the submission on the Student Information/Release form for spelling errors and accuracy.
Artwork must be within the following categories:
- Painting (oil, acrylics, watercolor, etc.)
- Drawing (pastels, colored pencil, pencil, charcoal, ink, markers, etc.)
- Collage (must be two-dimensional)
- Print (lithograph, silk screen, block prints)
- Photography
- Computer Generated Art
- Mixed Media (any combination of the above)
Entry must be an original concept; the entry may not reproduce an image from a third party’s work in the same or other medium. Please- no glitter or feathers should be part of the artwork.
The work may not violate the U.S. Copyright Laws.
Note: Any entry which has been reproduced from an existing photo, painting or any other work is in violation of the competition rules and will not be accepted.
Final decision regarding suitability for exhibition in the Capitol shall be at the discretion of a panel of qualified persons chaired by the Architect of the Capitol.
Notifications of prizes and participation certificates will be announced following the judging, or by the 14th of April, 2024.
Scholarships may be provided to the first, second and third place finishers. Depending on the first place winner’s choice, there may be remaining scholarships, as only the competition winner is eligible for the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) scholarship. The second and third place winners may choose from the remaining scholarships. Competition winners’ decisions must be declared to Gene Saunders in Congressman Mike Turner’s Office, within one month of the conclusion of the contest.
If there are scholarships unclaimed, they may be offered through a lottery selection to those students who received an honorable mention. More detailed scholarship information will be provided in a follow-up letter.
History of the Competition
The annual competition was created in 1982 as a way to showcase the artistic talents of young people throughout the country. The goal of the contest is to support and promote the arts, and encourage artistic expression in our youth. This contest will further develop creativity and original thought in our young people, skills that will prove invaluable as they move forward with their education and careers.
We are fortunate to again have the Dayton Art Institute host the Tenth District Congressional Art Competition. The building is home to a collection of 26,000 pieces spanning 5,000 years of art history and is rated as “superb in quality” by the American Association of Museums. As a nationally recognized museum, it is an honor for students to have their artwork displayed alongside the work of world renowned artists.
Our annual Congressional Art Competition is open to all high school juniors and seniors who attend a school located in Ohio’s Tenth Congressional District. All qualified entries will be on view in the North and South Galleries of The Dayton Art Institute in April and the beginning of May. An independent panel of judges will select the winners after each piece of artwork is installed. A special awards ceremony will take place in early May and the grand prize winner and runners-up will be announced. Each participant will be honored and presented with a Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition.
The first place winner will also win a trip to Washington, D.C. to attend a ceremony inside the U.S. Capitol, where their artwork will be on display with the work of Congressional contest winners across the nation. Hundreds of people will see the artwork each day. Scholarships are awarded to the grand prize winner and runners-up.
Each year, I am amazed by the artistic ability exhibited by our young people. One of our nation’s future prominent artists may very well be growing up here in Ohio’s Tenth Congressional District. This contest is a great opportunity to encourage that talent.