Students in Mississippi‘s First Congressional District are invited to participate in the 2026 Congressional Art Competition, an opportunity to highlight their talent. The deadline to submit artwork is March 25, 2026.
This year’s reception will be held at a new location on April 2, 2026, at 4:30 pm at Northeast Mississippi Community College, Anderson Hall. All submitted entries will be on display, and students and their families are encouraged to attend. The competition winner, along with other top entries, will be announced during the reception.
The Congressional Art Competition is open to all high school students in the First District. The over-all winner of our district’s competition will be displayed for eleven months in the Cannon Tunnel that leads into the U.S. Capitol. The exhibit in Washington will also include artwork from other contest winners nationwide. Additionally, winners will receive two plane tickets to travel to D.C. for the awards ceremony in June.
The artwork may be:
- Paintings – including oil, acrylics, and watercolor
- Drawings – including pastels, colored pencil, pencil, charcoal, ink, and markers
- Collage
- Prints – including lithographs, silkscreen, and block prints
- Mixed Media
- Computer Generated Art
- Photography
All entries must be an original concept, design, and execution.
For more information, please visit the official Congressional Art Competition page, or submit the form on trentkelly.house.gov.
For additional details, please contact Melinda Whited at melinda.whited@mail.house.gov or (662) 687-1525.
2025 Winner was Halle Riddle
The 2025 Congressional Art Competition winner was Halle Riddle, then a senior at Booneville High School. Her drawing, Tunnel Vision, was created using charcoal and depicts a glass vase.
Last June, Halle and her family traveled to Washington, D.C., to attend the national awards ceremony. Her winning piece was honored during the event and displayed in the Cannon Tunnel leading to the U.S. Capitol, alongside artwork from other student winners across the nation.
“This event was incredibly captivating and inspiring. I was in awe by having my artwork displayed in the Capitol Building. I enjoyed exploring the Capitol and meeting many other talented artists who were in similar positions. It was an unforgettable experience,” Halle said. “I am deeply grateful for being selected for this honor and the opportunities it has offered me. This inspiration I gained will undoubtedly influence my future as both an artist and an individual.”
Honoring Past First District Winners
Top Row: Jon Worth 2024, Skylar Sloan 2019, John Farley 2016
Middle Row: James Dukes 2020, Ashley Dowdy 2017, Allie Bullock 2023
Bottom Row: Helen Peng 2018, Macon Bentley 2021, Lindsay Grantham 2022
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