Contest: Win and hang your art in the U.S. Capitol

The Art Institute of Charlotte and Congressman Robert Pittenger have opened the 2013 Congressional Art Competition to high school students from the 9th Congressional District.

The first-place winner will get to hang their work in the U.S. Capitol building, receive a scholarship from Savannah College of Art & Design and fly to Washington, D.C., to attend a national reception and see their artwork displayed.

The 9th District includes parts of south Charlotte, Matthews, Mint Hill, Weddington, Pineville, Huntersville, Cornelius and Mooresville.

"The first-place artwork will be displayed in a frequently-traveled area of the Capitol, and I'll be excited to point it out to colleagues and guests," Pittenger said in a release.

Students can drop off artwork at either of Pittenger's district offices during normal business hours through April 5.

On Pittenger's Facebook page (facebook.com/CongressmanPittenger), people can "like" contest entries between April 8 and 17. The five pieces with the most "likes" will be finalists, and Pittenger and his staff will choose a winner.

The other four finalists will have their artwork hung in Pittenger's district offices.

The Art Institute of Charlotte will offer the first- and second-place winners a full scholarship to the Summer Studio program, which features five days of creative workshops.

All participants in the contest are invited to a reception the Art Institute will host April 19.
For more information, rules and entry forms, visit pittenger.house.gov/ArtCompetition or call 704-362-1060.