About the Congressional Art Competition

The Congressional Art Competition, initiated by Congress in 1982, is a nationwide high school arts competition sponsored by Members of the U.S. House of Representatives. The Artistic Discovery Contest is an opportunity to recognize and encourage artistic talent across the nation and locally in the 6th District of Massachusetts.

Montserrat College of Art has hosted the Sixth District Congressional High School Art Competition and Exhibition for students in public and private high schools on the North Shore since 1995. Each year the number of entries varies, but the most recent in-person exhibition included more than 110 students from 23 of the district’s schools and a handful of home-schooled students.

The competition is open to students in grades 10-12 and work is pre-selected by high school art faculty to be submitted for the competition. US Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Salem) has been our host congressman for this event since 2015.

Each year, the college hangs all entries in one of its main galleries and invites three volunteers with arts and/or arts education backgrounds to serve as jurors. The jurors are tasked with choosing a Best of School award from each submitting school, and out of those, choose four top awards; Grand Award Winner, First Prize, Second Prize, and Third Prize. In some years, honorable mentions are also noted.

The work of the Grand Award winner and those of all other participating congressional districts are sent to Washington DC in June, where a ceremony is held for them and their families at the Capitol Building. The work is displayed for one year in the tunnel that joins the House and Senate office buildings.

In addition to certificates from the congressman’s office, each winner is awarded a partial scholarship to Montserrat College of Art’s Pre-College Summer Program in varying amounts ranging from $1,500 for the Grand Prize, down to $500 each for Best of School. As a result, several students attend the program who might not otherwise have access.

The exhibit is on display for four days culminating with a closing reception with Congressman Seth Moulton and the president of Montserrat College of Art.  Students, their families, teachers, and administrators are welcome to attend.

During the event, the students can meet with Montserrat pre-college and admissions staff and other administrators of the college.