Lebanon County high school artists invited to compete for D.C. display

Congressman Dan Meuser (PA-09) is once again inviting high school artists to compete for a spot on the wall in the U.S. Capitol.

Each spring, members of the U.S. House of Representatives sponsor the nationwide Artistic Discovery Contest, which provides a platform to recognize and encourage the artistic talents of high school students across the country.

Meuser has invited high school artists from Pennsylvania’s 9th Congressional District to showcase their creativity for a chance to have their artwork displayed in the U.S. Capitol for one year and be featured on House.gov’s Congressional Art Competition page.

The 9th district encompasses all of Bradford, Columbia, Lebanon, Montour, Northumberland, Schuylkill, Sullivan, Susquehanna, and Wyoming counties, as well as parts of Berks, Luzerne, and Lycoming counties.

To qualify, artwork must be two-dimensional. The winning artwork must arrive in Washington, D.C., framed. Each framed piece can be no larger than 26 inches high, 26 inches wide, and 4 inches deep, and it should weigh more than 15 pounds.

The following media for two-dimensional artwork will be considered:

• 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.
• Photographs.

Each entry must be original in concept, design, and execution and may not violate 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, drawing, etc.).

Students should only submit artwork they will not need for other purposes. Deadline for submission to one of Meuser’s district offices is April 18.

Submissions will be accepted at the following locations:

• 400 S. 8th St., Room 101, Lebanon.
• 121 Progress Ave Suite 110, Losch Plaza, Pottsville.
• Market Street Plaza, 1000 Market St., Suite 39, Bloomsburg.
• Executive Plaza, 330 Pine St., 4th floor, Williamsport.
• 511 Mile Road, Tunkhannock.
• Hamburg Municipal Center, 61 N. 3rd St., 2nd floor, Hamburg.

A reception for participants will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday, April 24, at Walk In Art Center at 220 Parkway, Schuylkill Haven.

A student release form can be found online, as can additional rules and regulations for the competition. Contact Madison Colaco at (717) 603-1459 or Nicholas Mason at (570) 871-6370 with questions.

Kaylee Meeker from the Northwest Area School District in Shickshinny, Luzerne County, was the 9th District’s 2024 winner, and her painting, “Operation Desert Shield,” currently hangs in the U.S. Capitol.