Currently, Lou Correa, California’s 46th district’s state representative, is hosting an art contest, giving the opportunity to high school students to have their artwork displayed in the Capitol building.
Lou Correa is a majority of Orange County’s U.S. state representative, being politically a Democrat, and has been serving as such since 2016. He’s had a political career since 1998, when he was elected to the California State Assembly as a Democrat to represent Orange County.
The 2026 Congressional Art Competition is live, and is sponsored by the U.S. House of Representatives. It’s an “opportunity to recognize and encourage the artistic talent in the nation,” as explained on Lou Correa’s website. Their hope is to recognize the art and talent in the nation, especially within the congressional district itself.
The guidelines to submit a work go as follows: It may be a maximum of 26 inches by 20 inches, a maximum of 4 inches in depth, and a maximum of 15 pounds. Since the piece must arrive framed, the framed version of your piece must still be within those dimensions. The accepted mediums are painting, drawing, collage, print, mixed media, computer-generated art, and photography. They maintain strict with the U.S. copyright laws, and if any piece is found to violate copyright or is not made by the student themself will not be accepted. As stated in the suitability guidelines, “In accordance with this policy, exhibits depicting subjects of contemporary political controversy or a sensationalistic or gruesome nature are not allowed.”
There is an additional release form that students will have to submit with their artwork, one that they’ll need a parent and teacher’s help with.
Mrs. Segalla is the go-to for submitting artwork, as she’ll be able to turn it in at the District Office for any students wanting to participate in the contest. The deadline is April 15th, 2026, at 5:00PM PST, so be sure to turn in your artwork before then. If any additional help is needed, contact 714-559-6190.
Good luck, artists!
