WASHINGTON D.C. — If you are in high school in the Columbia Basin and an artist, Fourth Congressional District Rep. Dan Newhouse, R-Yakima, has a competition for you.

Newhouse recently announced the start of the Fourth District’s third annual Congressional Art Competition for any and all high school students in central Washington. The Congressional Institute sponsors a nationwide high school visual art competition every spring.

The winner from last year’s Fourth District competition was a local Grant County kid. Wahluke High School student Audra Coulson took home the top prize for her entry entitled “Soul Sister.” The winning piece of art will be proudly displayed at the U.S. Capitol in Washington D.C. and the winner will receive two airline tickets to fly to D.C. and attend a Congressional Institute-hosted reception.

“The Congressional High School Art Competition has enabled our region’s high school students to showcase their talent and artistic skill in the nation’s capital,” Newhouse said. “I am proud to display previous winning entries, and I encourage all high school students in Central Washington to take this opportunity to submit their favorite artwork.”

The competition is open to the following categories:

Paintings: Including oil, acrylics and watercolor.

Drawings: Including pastels, colored pencils, pencils, charcoal, ink and markers.

Two-dimensional collages.

Prints: Including lithographs, silkscreens and block prints.

Mixed media: Art done with more than two mediums.

Computer-generated art.

Photography.

Submitted art can be up to 26 inches by 26 inches and up to 4 inches in depth and is not allowed to weigh more than 15 pounds. The cutoff date for submissions is April 27. People are encouraged to call and schedule a time for artwork to be dropped off at one of the following offices:

Tri-Cities District Office: 3100 George Washington Way, Suite 135, Richland, Wash. 509-713-7374.

Yakima District Office: 402 E. Yakima Avenue, Suite 445, Yakima, Wash. 509-452-3243.

North District Office (Okanogan and Douglas Counties): Contact Jessica.Mccarthy@mail.house.gov or 509-433-7760.

Prospective entrants are encouraged to visit www.newhouse.house.gov/services/art-competition and fill out a release form. Students are limited to one entry in the competition. For more information contact Matt Pettit at 202-225-5816 or Matt.Pettit@mail.house.gov.

Richard Byrd can be reached via email at city@columbiabasinherald.com.