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Scholastic Art & Writing Awards

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Art & Writing Awards

AT–A–GLANCE
What is it?

Founded in 1923, the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards are the nation's longest-running, most prestigious educational initiative supporting student achievement in the visual and literary arts.  The program has an impressive legacy of being the first to acknowledge creative talent and is today's largest source of scholarships for creative teens.

Who's it for?

Creative teenagers in grades 7–12 from public, private and home schools throughout the U.S. and its territories, as well as American-run schools abroad and students who make art and writing through community organizations.

Visit the Website

artandwriting.org

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Contact

Michael Barrett
mbarrett@scholastic.com
(212) 343-6570

Art & Writing In The News

THE WASHINGTON POST
Gold Medal Portfolio winner Razan Elbaba breaks stereotypes about Muslim women throughout her winning artwork

PBS NEWSHOUR
Art Beat talks to Gold Medal Portfolio winner, Nyanna Johnson, about her winning black-and-white photography portfolio.

TIME.COM
Jade Lo, a winner in the 2016 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, and six renowned artists experiment with new virtual reality gear that creates 3D artwork

THE NEW YORKER
An inside look at the 2014 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards national adjudication process with 12th grade photography judges Andres Serrano, Casey Kelbaugh and Julie Saul.

THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
Gold Medalist Steven Paul, 17, of Brooklyn, NY discusses his photograph "Lost Time," which was painted by Colossal Media on onto the side of a building in Williamsburg.

NBC NEWS
Gold Medalist Steven Paul from Edward R. Murrow High School in Brooklyn, NY featured on “Nightly News” to talk about his Award-winning photograph.

Winning a Scholastic Art & Writing Award brought me from high school in Wichita, Kansas, to art school in New York City. It changed the course of my life.

—— Tom Otterness, acclaimed American sculptor, public artist and Awards alumnus

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Press Releases

Background

What are the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards?

  • The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards recognize student achievement in the visual and literary arts in 29 categories, including editorial cartoon, poetry, graphic design, fashion, science fiction, video game design and more.
  • Since the program’s founding in 1923, the Awards have fostered the creativity and talent of millions of students, including renowned alumni who have gone on to become leaders in their fields, including Andy Warhol, Truman Capote, Richard Avedon, Charles White, Philip Pearlstein, Sylvia Plath, Kay WalkingStick, Luis Jiménez, Ken Burns, Stephen King, Lena Dunham, Richard Linklater, and Zac Posen.
  • An Award signifies to parents, teachers, the community and colleges that a student is an accomplished artist or writer.
  • The Awards offer opportunities for creative teens to earn recognition, exhibition, publication and scholarships.
  • In the 2017 program year, 16 high school seniors received the Portfolio Gold Award, which includes a $10,000 scholarship.
  • Each work of art and writing is blindly adjudicated, first locally through the more than 100 affiliates of the Alliance, and then nationally by panels of judges comprised of renowned artists, authors, educators and industry experts.
  • Works are judged on originality, technical skill, and emergence of personal vision or voice.
  • To learn more about the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards and to read the full rules, visit: http://www.artandwriting.org/the-awards/how-to-enter

What is The Alliance for Young Artists & Writers?

  • The Alliance for Young Artists & Writers is the national nonprofit organization that presents the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards and provides additional opportunities for creative teens to be recognized for their talents and to earn scholarships for their education.
  • The Alliance’s mission is to identify teenagers with exceptional artistic and literary talent and bring their remarkable work to a national audience.
  • The Alliance also serves as a source of information for organizations and individuals who wish to support the creative development of our nation’s teenagers.
  • The Alliance of Young Artists & Writers is grateful to our generous sponsors, who provide funds to support and produce all our programs, including the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, the Art.Write.Now.Tour, Scholastic Awards Summer Scholarships, Workshops, and more: Scholastic Inc., The Maurice R. Robinson Fund, Command Web Offset Co., The New York Times, New York Life Foundation, The Herb Block Foundation, Blick Art Materials & Utrecht Art Supplies, Gedenk Movement, Royal Bank of Canada, Golden Artist Colors, Neiman Marcus, Garcia Family Foundation, Bloomberg Philanthropies, ESA Foundation, The Jacques and Natasha Gelman Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, Creative Circle, Amazon Literary Partnership, New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, and numerous other individual, foundation, and corporate funders; and, for the National Student Poets Program: President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities, Institute of Museum and Library Services, Poetry Foundation, Library of Congress, and Academy of American Poets.

 

National Student Poets Program

What is the National Student Poets Program?

  • The National Student Poets Program is a signature initiative of the President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities in partnership with the Institute of Museum and Library Services and the nonprofit Alliance for Young Artists & Writers. It is the nation’s highest honor for young poets presenting original work.
  • This partnership reflects the national imprimatur of the President's Committee as well as the Administration's commitment to the arts and humanities education. The Institute of Museum and Library Services' community-based network of libraries and museums links the National Student Poets with audiences and resources in their communities and surrounding regions. The program builds upon the Alliance's longstanding work with educators and creative teens through the prestigious Scholastic Art & Writing Awards.
  • Now in its fifth year, the Program selects five outstanding high school poets for one year of service as national poetry ambassadors. Each National Student Poet represents one of five regions of the country.
  • The 2016 National Student Poets' year of service began in Washington, D.C. with a reading hosted by former First Lady Michelle Obama at the White House.
  • During the course of their ambassadorial year, the National Student Poets showcase the essential role of writing and the arts in academic and personal success by leading readings and workshops at libraries, museums and schools, as well as participating in prestigious events throughout the country. They additionally create and implement service projects that expand the reach of the program and its engagement with audiences in their respective regions.
  • The National Student Poets each receive an academic award of $5,000 funded by the Bernstein Family Foundation and serve as resources for the Library of Congress and U.S. Department of Education during their tenure.
  • The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards is the exclusive pathway to be considered for the National Student Poets Program. Students must achieve a National Gold or Silver Medal in poetry through blind adjudication by a national panel of jurors. From the top-winning work in the Scholastic Awards, an esteemed panel of expert judges selects five student poets, based on the student’s creativity, promise and dedication to craft.
  • Students in grades 10–11 who are interested in becoming 2017 National Student Poets are able to submit their entries to the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards now through the fall. Deadlines for art and writing submissions vary by region.
  • Information on the Program, students and upcoming events can be found at www.artandwriting.org/NSPP
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The 2016 National Student Poets

Download a one sheet about the 2016 National Student Poets.

Stella Binion
Age 17
Walter Payton College Prep
Chicago, IL
Region: Midwest
Maya Eashwaran
Age 17
Milton Public High School
Alpharetta, GA
Region: Southeast
Gopal Raman
Age 17
St. Mark’s School of Texas
Dallas, TX
Region: Southwest
Joey Reisberg
Age 17
George Washington Carver Center for Arts and Technology
Towson, MD
Region: Northeast
Maya Salameh
Age 16
San Diego High School of International Studies
San Diego, CA
Region: West

Downloads

The 2017 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards at Carnegie Hall
(click the thumbnails below to open a hi-res image for download)


Pictured from left to right, CEO and President of Scholastic, Richard Robinson, actor Allison Williams (Girls & Get Out) and Executive Director of Alliance for Young Artists & Writers, Virginia McEnerney, pose backstage at the National Ceremony for the 2017 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards held at Carnegie Hall, New York, N.Y., Thursday, June 8, 2017. (Photo by Stuart Ramson/AP Images for Scholastic)
 

Pictured from center left to right, CEO and President of Scholastic, Richard Robinson, actress and comedian Amy Schumer, actor Ellie Kemper, actor Allison Williams (Girls & Get Out), artist Paul Chan, Awesomeness TV host Hunter March and Executive Director of Alliance for Young Artists & Writers, Virginia McEnerney, pose with the 2017 Gold Medal Portfolio recipients at the National Ceremony for the 2017 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards held at Carnegie Hall, New York, N.Y., Thursday, June 8, 2017. (Photo by Stuart Ramson/AP Images for Scholastic)
 

Pictured back left to right, actress and comedian Amy Schumer, actor Ellie Kemper, actor Allison Williams (Girls & Get Out), Awesomeness TV host Hunter March and artist Paul Chan, pose with the 2016 National Student Poets at the National Ceremony for the 2017 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards held at Carnegie Hall, New York, N.Y., Thursday, June 8, 2017. (Photo by Stuart Ramson/AP Images for Scholastic)
 

Actress and comedian Amy Schumer addresses students and their families and teachers at the National Ceremony for the 2017 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards held at Carnegie Hall, New York, N.Y., Thursday, June 8, 2017. (Photo by Stuart Ramson/AP Images for Scholastic)
 

Actor Ellie Kemper addresses students and their families and teachers at the National Ceremony for the 2017 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards held at Carnegie Hall, New York, N.Y., Thursday, June 8, 2017. (Photo by Stuart Ramson/AP Images for Scholastic)

Actor Allison Williams (Girls & Get Out) addresses students and their families and teachers at the National Ceremony for the 2017 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards held at Carnegie Hall, New York, N.Y., Thursday, June 8, 2017. (Photo by Stuart Ramson/AP Images for Scholastic)

 

Video: Click here to download an .mp4 file video.

Actress and comedian Amy Schumer, CEO and President of Scholastic, Richard Robinson, Michelle Obama, Executive Director of Alliance for Young Artists & Writers, Virginia McEnerney, actor Ellie Kemper, actor artist Paul Chan, and Allison Williams (Girls & Get Out) address students and their families and teachers at the National Ceremony for the 2017 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards held at Carnegie Hall, New York, N.Y., Thursday, June 8, 2017.

White House Committee Names Five Student Poets for Prestigious National Student Poets Program
(click on a photo to open a hi-res version in a new window)


First Lady Michelle Obama hosts a poetry reading in honor of the 2016 National Student Poets, from left: Maya Salameh, Joey Reisberg, Gopal Raman, Maya Eashwaran and Stella Binion in the State Dining Room of the White House on Thursday, Sept. 8, 2016 in Washington. (Kevin Wolf/AP Images for Alliance for Young Artists & Writers)


From left, Gopal Raman takes a selfie with his fellow 2016 National Student Poets, Maya Eashwaran, Stella Binion, Joey Reisberg, and Maya Salameh on the grounds of the White House following a poetry reading with the First Lady Michelle Obama on Thursday, Sept. 8, 2016 in Washington. (Kevin Wolf/AP Images for Alliance for Young Artists & Writers)

General

Virginia McEnerney, Executive Director of the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers, talks about the importance of the Awards, its 94-year history, and its notable alumni of creative leaders.

Audio: http://mediaroom.scholastic.com/files/Scholastic-Art-Writing-Awards-Virginia-McEnerney.wav

Video: http://mediaroom.scholastic.com/files/Scholastic-Art-Writing-Awards-Virginia-McEnerney.mp4

Art.Write.Now.Tour 2016–17

Art.Write.Now.Tour, a traveling exhibition of select Scholastic Art & Writing Award–winning works, highlights some of the most stunning examples of teen-produced art and writing in the nation.

Current Cities

New tour dates announced in September 2017

Past Cities

To see a sample of works included in the Art.Write.Now.Tour 2016–17 traveling exhibition, click here.

Archived Press Releases