High school art students in the Third Congressional District maybe able to get their work displayed in the U.S. Capitol, butthey’ll have to win.

The Congressional Art Competition is open to students in theninth through 12th grades in public, private and parochial schools.Home school students are also eligible.

The winning entry will hang in the U.S. Capitol for a year andthe winner will attend an award ceremony in Washington, D.C.

Brookhaven typically has a strong showing among the winners,although indirectly, said Anne O’Hara, art instructor at theMississippi School of the Arts.

“We participated last year and won three or four awards andwe’ll participate again this year,” she said.

Unfortunately, O’Hara said, although the school is located inthe Third Congressional District and has a statewide enrollment,only students who actually live in the district are eligible forthe contest.

She estimated 10 students in her classes would be eligible tocompete.

The deadline for entries is March 30. They can be dropped off atThird Congressional District Rep. Chip Pickering’s Brookhavenoffice at the Chamber of Commerce.

The artwork must be original and no larger than 30 inches by 30inches framed. The art can be created through the techniques ofdrawing, painting, photography, computer-generated art, collage ormixed media.

O’Hara said MSA entries could possibly run the gamut of mediums,but predicted most entries would be either drawings or digitalimages, such as photography or computer generated art.

“We may have a few paintings, but we haven’t had as manypainting classes this year,” she said. “I know we have a lot ofgood drawings.”

Each student is permitted only one entry and must be accompaniedby the appropriate forms to be eligible.

A reception for the artists will be held at the Brandon PublicLibrary when the winners of each division and the overall winnerare announced.

Last year’s overall winner was Starkville High School seniorSascha Neumann with additional winners coming from Pike, Madison,Rankin, Simpson and Noxubee counties.

“Mississippi is blessed with so many talented artists and I’mpleased to honor students work at the U.S. Capitol,” Pickering saidin a news release. “Visitors often remark on the quality of the artfrom our Mississippi students. We should continue to promote andhonor our heritage of creativity from the Magnolia State.”

Some of the artwork which may be entered in the contest may beon display at the Lincoln County Public Library. Mississippi Schoolof the Arts has a display of artwork created by students in avariety of mediums at the library until the end of the month.

For more information on the contest, contact a high school artdepartment or principal or call Cindy Fish at Pickering’s office at(601) 932-2410.