The long winter is finally over, spring is here, and now that we've gotten through that long list of things we needed to do to get ready for the warmer weather in Western New York, it's time to look forward to lots of home sales and baseball.

One of the things that I look forward to this time of year is getting a look at all of the amazing art that Buffalo and Western New York, and with Buffalo being a pretty artsy city, there are tons of it for you to check out.

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From all of the public murals to the plethora of museums, there are tons of things for you to choose from to check out the art in our area.

Now thanks to an initiative from the US Congress, there may be a lot more art for us to check out in the 716.

What is Congress Doing?

Every year in spring the US Congress, in partnership with the Congressional Institute, sponsors the country-wide Congressional Art Competition that focuses on visual arts and was designed to increase and encourage the amount of artistic talent in the United States.

The Congressional Institute is a not-for-profit corporation dedicated to helping Members of Congress better serve their constituents and helping their constituents better understand the federal legislature and has been doing so since 1987

Congressional Art Competition

Started in 1982 as the Artistic Discovery Competition, the Congressional Art Competition has been hosted in its current capacity since 2009 and has had more than 650,000 high school students submit art over the years to Congress.

Each Congressional district can host a local competition in their area, with the winner of the local competition being recognized at an art ceremony in Washington DC, along with their art being displayed in the halls of the US Capitol for a year.

The Congressional Institute is proud to sponsor the Congressional Art Competition since 2009. The annual competition celebrates the artistic achievements of the nation’s high school students.
-The Congressional Institute

WNY Students Are Encouraged To Submit Art To the Congressional Art Competition

Brian Higgins, who is the Representative for New York's 26th Congressional District has opened Western New York up for this competition and has encouraged everyone in the area to submit art.

Students who live in the Cities of Buffalo, Niagara Falls, and Tonawanda along with the Towns of Amherst, Cambria, Cheektowaga, Grand Island, Lewiston, Lockport, Niagara, Pendleton, Porter, Tonawanda, West Seneca, Wheatfield & Wilson are invited to participate through Congressman Higgins’ office.

Art that is submitted will be put on display in Congressman Higgins’ office in the lobby of the Larkin at Exchange Building. The winner of the competition, which would be selected by local community leaders from WNY, will be sent to the award ceremony in the Capital.

You can find more information about the competition, and details on how to enter, here.

Photo's From Arts for Healing

More than 100 young adults gathered a few blocks from the Jefferson Avenue Tops Markets to promote healing, wellness, and coping skills through artistic expression.

Do NOT Miss These 13 Amazing (And Off the Grid) Upstate New York Museums!

Upstate New York is famous for its nationally known museums, such as the Corning Museum of Glass, or the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. But there are many other smaller and lesser known museums that any visitor should put on their list of things to do and see in Upstate New York.

This is a list of 13 museums you might not know about. Some are quirky, some are important, some are fun, some are, how shall we say, "out there." But all are worthy of a visit from you soon!

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