Johnson Seeks Student Art for Congressional Art Competition

Washington, D.C. - Today, U.S. Representative Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) announced the 2026 Congressional Art Competition and encourages South Dakota high school students to submit their artwork. The competition puts the artwork of South Dakota students in the U.S. Capitol building. The South Dakota Arts Council (SDAC) is now accepting entries on behalf of Rep. Johnson's office.

The contest is open to all South Dakota students in grades 9-12. The first-place winning entry will be displayed in the Cannon Tunnel of the United States Capitol for one year. The second-place winning entry will be displayed in Johnson's Washington, D.C. office.

"South Dakota is full of creative talent," said Johnson. "This program is a chance to celebrate and showcase the talent of South Dakota's students in the halls of Congress. Young artists should take this unique opportunity for their work to be recognized nationally."

Only digital submissions will be accepted. Students should send one email including a high-resolution JPEG image, along with a completed, typed PDF of the student release form to [email protected]. Submissions must be received by 11:59 PM CT, on Monday, April 20. Winners will be notified by Friday, April 24, and will be responsible for shipping their artwork and student release forms to the SDAC office. The South Dakota Arts Council will have the artwork framed and will ship it to Washington, D.C. for the student.

Please review the artwork specifications, guidelines, and instructions before submitting and download the student release form at https://artscouncil.sd.gov/CAC/index.aspx.

The Congressional Art Competition is sponsored by the Congressional Institute and members of the U.S. House of Representatives. It's an opportunity to recognize and encourage the artistic talent in the nation, as well as in each congressional district. The South Dakota Arts Council partners with Congressman Johnson's office to carry out this initiative.

The South Dakota Arts Council, an office of the South Dakota Department of Tourism, is a state agency serving South Dakotans and their communities through the arts with funding from the National Endowment for the Arts and the State of South Dakota.