Mike Turner Congressional Art Competition
share: f t
2008 Congressional Art Competition
By Congressman Michael Turner

I am pleased to announce the 2008 Congressional Arts Competition for Ohio’s Third Congressional District. The Competition is open to all high school students who live in the Third Congressional District of Ohio. Students will compete for one of four generous academic scholarships. The student who wins first place will also have the opportunity to attend a ceremony in Washington, D.C. this summer, where their artwork will be showcased for one year in the Cannon Pedestrian Tunnel at the United States Capitol.

The annual competition was created in 1982 as a way to showcase the artistic talents of young people throughout the country. The Dayton Art Institute and many other educational and community oriented institutions throughout Ohio’s Third Congressional District join me in supporting this project. The goal of the contest is to support and promote the arts and reward artistic expression in our youth. This contest will further develop creativity and original thought in our young people. These skills may prove to be invaluable as they move forward with their education and careers.

The rules for participating in the contest are as follows:
-The competition is open to all high school students (grades 9-12) who live in Ohio’s Third Congressional District.
-Students may obtain entry forms from their high school art teachers.
- Parents of home-schooled students should contact either of my district offices in Dayton and Wilmington to receive entry forms.
-Each student may submit one piece of two-dimensional artwork.
Framed artwork must be no larger than 30 inches by 30 inches by 4 inches deep, and may include:
-Paintings (oils, watercolors, acrylics, etc.)
-Drawings (pencil, colored pencil, charcoal, pastels, ink, markers, etc.)
-Collages (must be two-dimensional)
-Prints (lithographs, silks screens, block prints)
-Mixed media
-If the artwork is matted, it should be in white or cream.
-Each entry must be original in concept, design, and execution and may not violate U.S. copyright laws.

Teachers must schedule an appointment for Tuesday, April 15 with the Dayton Art Institute to drop off artwork. Teachers may also contact Jim Knupp in my Dayton District office to make an appointment with him to have artwork picked up. Our goal is to make entry as easy as possible.

The artworks will be displayed in a gallery of the Dayton Art Institute from April 19 through May 11, 2008. I urge students and their friends and families to visit the museum during this period so that they can see all the entries. A panel of local artists, art teachers, and local community leaders will select four winners and six honorable mentions.

There are up to four scholarship opportunities available to the contest winners: The winner of the Congressional Art Competition will have the choice of either a $5,000 per year scholarship from the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) or one of the following scholarships:
-The University of Dayton - $2,000 scholarship for general studies.
-Sinclair Community College- $1,000 scholarship for general studies.
-Wright State University- $2,000 scholarship for general studies.

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 along with the work of Congressional contest winners across the nation.

I look forward to seeing the many entries in this contest from talented young local artists. This is a great opportunity to support the arts. One of our nation’s future prominent artists may be growing up right now in Ohio’s Third Congressional District and this contest is a great way to encourage that talent.

Anyone seeking additional information should contact Jim Knupp in my Dayton district office at (937) 225-2843.

# # #