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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

Brittany Sullivan
bsullivan@scholastic.com
(212) 343-4848

Art & Writing In The News

KATU-TV Oregon student Mackie Mallison is one of 16 students nationwide to receive top honors in the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards

NEWS 12 BRONX Bronx senior Maya Dixon received the Gold Medal Portfolio for her collection of paintings depicting her Bronx neighborhood

THE POST AND COURIER Seventeen-year-old Malachi Jones follows in the footsteps of legendary writers including Truman Capote and Sylvia Plath

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.

"I vividly remember how important it was for me to be recognized in the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards as a junior high student in Erie, Pennsylvania because it was one of the very few validations I received as a developing artist—and it still profoundly affects me today. The impact of this national recognition is undeniable."

— Marc Brown, Arthur author and illustrator, 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 2018 program year, 16 high school seniors received the Gold Award Portfolio, 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 and partners, who provide funds and resources to produce all our programs, including the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, the Art.Write.Now. Exhibition Program, 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, Golden Artist Colors, Bloomberg Philanthropies, ESA Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, Creative Circle, New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, Amazon Literary Partnerships, and numerous other individual, foundation, and corporate funders; and, for the National Student Poets Program, the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the Library of Congress, the Poetry Foundation, and the Academy of American Poets.

Art.Write.Now.Tour 2018–19

Art.Write.Now.Tour, a traveling exhibition showcasing a selection of national works from the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, highlights some of the most stunning examples of teen-produced art and writing in the nation.

Art.Write.Now.DC 2018–19:

  • Washington, D.C., U.S. Department of Education, September 14–August 2019

Art.Write.Now.Tour 2018–19:

  • Manchester, NH, New Hampshire Institute of Art, September 7 –October 20, 2018
  • Sacramento, CA, Crocker Art Museum, November 8–December 16, 2018
  • St. Louis, MO, Center of Creative Arts (COCA), January 12–March 17, 2019 
  • South Bend, IN, South Bend Museum of Art, April 6–June 30, 2019

To see a sample of works included in the Art.Write.Now.Tour 2018–19 traveling exhibition, click here.

National Student Poets Program

What is the National Student Poets Program?

  • The National Student Poets Program is the nation’s highest honor for youth poets presenting original work. It is a collaboration of the Institute of Museum and Library Services and the nonprofit Alliance for Young Artists & Writers. The Program builds upon the Alliance's longstanding work with educators and creative teens through the prestigious Scholastic Art & Writing Awards.
  • Now in its seventh year, the Program selects five outstanding high school poets whose work exhibits exceptional creativity, dedication to craft, and promise for a year of service as national poetry ambassadors. Each National Student Poet represents one of five regions of the country.
  • The 2018 National Student Poets' year of service begins in Washington, D.C. with an appointment ceremony at the Library of Congress, a private workshop with the 22nd Poet Laureate Tracy K. Smith and readings at the National Book Festival.
  • 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.
  • The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards are the exclusive pathway to be considered for the National Student Poets Program. Students must receive a National Medal in poetry through blind adjudication by a panel of distinguished jurors. From the top-awarded work in the Scholastic Awards, a national jury of literary luminaries and leaders in education and the arts 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 2019 National Student Poets must submit their entries to the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards starting in September 2018. 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 2018 National Student Poets

Video: What is the National Student Poets Program?

Darius Atefat-Peckham
Age 17
Interlochen Arts Academy
Interlochen, MI
Region: Midwest
Daniel Blokh
Age 17
Alabama School of Fine Arts
Birmingham, AL
Region: Southeast
Alexandra Contreras-Montesano
Age 17
Burlington High School
Burlington VT
Region: Northeast
Heather Laurel Jensen
Age 16
Red Mountain High School
Mesa, AZ
Region: Southwest
Ariana Smith
Age 16
Las Vegas Academy of the Arts
Las Vegas, NV
Region: West

Downloads

The 2018 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards at Carnegie Hall
(click the thumbnails below to open a hi-res image for download)


Third poet laureate of Philadelphia, Yolanda Wisher, center right, and contemporary artist José Parlá, second left, pose backstage with 2017 National Student Poets at the 2018 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards National Ceremony held at Carnegie Hall in New York, Thursday, June 7, 2018. (Photo by Diane Bondareff/AP Images for Alliance for Young Artists & Writers)
 

Actor Ansel Elgort (Baby Driver, The Fault in Our Stars) poses with Gold Medal Portfolio recipients backstage at the 2018 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards National Ceremony held at Carnegie Hall in New York, Thursday, June 7, 2018. (Photo by Diane Bondareff/AP Images for Alliance for Young Artists & Writers)
 

Chairman and CEO of Scholastic, Richard Robinson, seated center right; actor Ansel Elgort, back row center; Arthur author and illustrator, Marc Brown, seated center; Goosebumps author, R.L. Stine, seated second left; Executive Director of the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers, Virginia McEnerney, seated left; third poet laureate of Philadelphia, Yolanda Wisher, seated second right; and artist José Parlá, back row right; pose with National Medalists at the 2018 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards National Ceremony held at Carnegie Hall in New York, Thursday, June 7, 2018. (Photo by Diane Bondareff/AP Images for Alliance for Young Artists & Writers)
 

R.L. Stine, right, author of the worldwide bestselling Goosebumps series, presents the 2018 Alumni Achievement Award to Marc Brown, Emmy Award-winning children’s author, illustrator, and creator of Arthur, at the 2018 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards National Ceremony held at Carnegie Hall in New York, Thursday, June 7, 2018. (Photo by Diane Bondareff/AP Images for Alliance for Young Artists & Writers)
 

Actor Ansel Elgort (Baby Driver, The Fault in Our Stars) addresses students and their families and educators at the 2018 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards National Ceremony held at Carnegie Hall in New York, Thursday, June 7, 2018. (Photo by Diane Bondareff/AP Images for Alliance for Young Artists & Writers)

Gold Medal Portfolio recipients are recognized on stage at the 2018 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards National Ceremony held at Carnegie Hall in New York, Thursday, June 7, 2018. (Photo by Diane Bondareff/AP Images for Alliance for Young Artists & Writers)

 

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

Actor Ansel Elgort (Baby Driver, The Fault in Our Stars); third poet laureate of Philadelphia, Yolanda Wisher; Goosebumps author, R.L. Stine; Arthur author and illustrator, Marc Brown; and Chairman and CEO of Scholastic address students, educators, and families at the 2018 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards National Ceremony held at Carnegie Hall in New York, Thursday, June 7, 2018.

General

Virginia McEnerney, Executive Director of the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers, talks about the importance of the Awards, its 95-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

The Best Teen Writing of 2017 (click the image below to open a hi-res version in a new window)

Archived Press Releases