Constituent Services

Each spring, the Congressional Institute holds a nationwide art competition for high school students to recognize and encourage artistic talent across the U.S. Since 1982, over 650,000 students have participated. Each Member of Congress submits one winning piece of artwork from their district to be displayed in the U.S. Capitol complex for a year. It is my honor to promote this program and recognize the talented students of our 20th Congressional District. 

The winner, runner up, and honorable mentions will be determined by an independent panel of judges and will be revealed at my annual art competition reception at the Arts Center of the Capital Region, located at 265 River Street, Troy, New York 12180 on Friday, May 2nd, 2025, from 5:30 PM to 7:00 PM. All other student art submissions will also be on display at this reception - however, those students who are not selected as winners will be encouraged to take their artwork home following the reception.

Each high school may submit up to three entries from their students. Submissions must be received no later than 5:00 PM on Monday, April 28, 2025, at my Albany Office, 19 Dove Street, Suite 302, Albany, New York 12210 or my Saratoga Springs District Office, 433 Broadway, Suite 201, Saratoga Springs, New York 12866.

The winner's artwork will be displayed in the U.S. Capitol, and they will be invited to attend a ceremony on June 11, 2025 with winners from other congressional districts across the country. The winner will also receive 2 complimentary round-trip airfare tickets to Washington, D.C., courtest of Southwest Airlines. The runner-up's artwork will be displayed in my District Office. All participants, including the winner, must reside in the 20th Congressional District.

MANDATORY STEPS TO SUBMIT ARTWORK TO CONGRESSMAN TONKO'S 2025 CONGRESSIONAL ART COMPETITION (DEADLINE - APRIL 28, 2025 AT 5:00 PM)

• STEP 1: Please ensure that you are a constituent of New York's 20th Congressional District. You can use the "Find Your Representative" tool on the House.gov homepage to confirm this.
• STEP 2: Once you have confirmed that you are a constituent, please fill out this Artwork Submission Form. In this form, you will provide information relating to the artwork and upload a picture of your artwork. (Deadline: April 28, 2025 at 5:00 PM)
• STEP 3: Finally, artwork must be submitted to either our Albany District Office, located at 19 Dove Street, Suite 302, Albany, NY 12210 or our Saratoga Springs District Office, located at 433 Broadway, Suite 201, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866, no later than 5:00 PM on Monday, April 28, 2025. (Deadline: April 28, 2025 at 5:00 PM)
  • A label with the title of the artwork, name of the student, name of their high school, and a contact phone number must be securely attached to the back of the artwork.
    

IMPORTANT GUIDELINES THAT YOUR ARTWORK MUST ADHERE TO:

• Artwork must be two-dimensional.
• Each piece must be no larger than 26"x26"x4" and weigh no more than 15 pounds, including the frame. The winning piece will have additional frame and mounting requirements for display in Washington, D.C. Larger framed works will be rejected by the House Office Building Commission.
• Accepted artwork mediums include paintings (oil, acrylics, watercolor), drawings (colored pencil, pencil, ink, marker, pastels, charcoal - fixed recommended), two-dimensional collages, prints (lithographs, silkscreen, block prints), mixed media (more than two mediums), computer-generated art, and photography.
• Each entry must be original in concept, design, and execution, and cannot violate U.S. copyright laws. Entries copied from existing photos, images, or artwork by others will not be accepted. For more on copyright laws, visit the Scholastic website HERE. 
• Work entered must be in the original medium (that is, not a scanned reproduction of a painting or drawing).
• Artwork will be displayed in the U.S. Capitol for the entire year of the exhibition and cannot be returned to the student earlier. Therefore, students should submit artwork they will not need for other purposes.