Contact:

Cathy Lasiewicz
 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards
212.343.6570
clasiewicz@scholastic.com

Lia Zneimer
Scholastic Art & Writing Awards
212.343.6901
lzneimer@scholastic.com

SMFA Announces New Scholarship Program for Scholastic Award Recipients from Massachusetts

NEW YORK, NY — April 12, 2013 — The Alliance for Young Artists & Writers today announced that the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (SMFA) is the 2013–14 school year affiliate sponsor of the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards in the state of Massachusetts. The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, administered by the nonprofit Alliance in partnership with 116 member regional affiliates nationwide, is the country’s longest-running and most prestigious national award program for creative teenagers in grades 7–12 that offers recognition of talent, exhibition opportunities, and scholarships. Although SMFA has offered scholarships to national Scholastic Award–winning seniors for the past seven years, it has announced plans to establish a special scholarship program specifically for Massachusetts students receiving national Scholastic Awards. The new program will provide a $70,000 award to be distributed equally over the course of a four-year undergraduate degree.

The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, established in 1923 by Maurice R. Robinson, the founder of Scholastic Inc., has grown exponentially since the first seven student entries were submitted 90 years ago. In 2013, the Awards program received a record 230,000 submissions of art and writing. Each year, fifteen graduating high school seniors receive the national Portfolio Gold Award and a $10,000 cash scholarship. Partnerships with 60 colleges and universities make more than $8 million in scholarships available to winning high school seniors, with additional cash awards offered to students in all grades, as well as teachers.

Distinguished Scholastic Awards alumni include SMFA graduate Cy Twombly, Stephen King, Andy Warhol, Ken Burns, Joyce Carol Oates, Robert Redford, Richard Avedon, Zac Posen, Lena Dunham, John Baldessari, John Updike, Sylvia Plath, Truman Capote, and Red Grooms.

"The SMFA is honored to represent the Awards in Massachusetts and to play a significant role in supporting young, talented artists and writers in the state, while providing them with opportunities for national recognition," said Eric Thompson, Vice President of Enrollment and Dean of Admissions. "As arts educators, we strongly believe in the Awards’ mission and applaud its important role in fostering future generations of creativity throughout the U.S."

"The Alliance is thrilled to be partnering with SMFA, a venerable arts education powerhouse that shares our mission of educating and supporting young talent and launching them on a path of discovery, creativity and success," said Virginia McEnerney, Executive Director of the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers. "As the quality and quantity of the work submitted for the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards continues to rise each year, SMFA is the ideal partner to guarantee that the students of Massachusetts are given every opportunity to earn this valuable recognition."

SMFA will work with teachers in public and private high schools and junior high schools throughout the state to encourage students to participate in the Awards program. The School joins a prestigious list of Affiliates including the Milwaukee Museum of Art, the Montclair Art Museum, the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, the College for Creative Studies, and Clowes Memorial Hall at Butler University.

Alumni of the Scholastic Awards have gone on to continue their education at many of the top colleges and universities across the country, including SMFA, Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA), School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), the School of Visual Arts, Parsons The New School for Design, Carnegie Mellon University, and Columbia University.

The Alliance for Young Artists & Writers, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, identifies teenagers with exceptional artistic and literary talent and brings their remarkable work to a national audience through the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. More information about the Alliance and its programs can be found at www.artandwriting.org and at http://mediaroom.scholastic.com/artandwriting.

SMFA is one of only three art schools in the country affiliated with a major museum—the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (MFA)—conceived at the same time as the Museum itself, as the crucial second part of a mission to educate through the arts. SMFA’s range of degree and certificate programs offers students the flexibility to create their own path of study, experiment, and evolve as an artist. There are no majors; instead, students work across 13 disciplines of study, including drawing, printmaking, performance, video and more. SMFA’s Studio Diploma offers an all-studio arts education without an academic component, while the degree programs in partnership with Tufts University (Bachelor of Fine Arts, Dual Degree, Master of Fine Arts or Master of Arts in Teaching, Art Education), allow students to pursue academic studies at the world-class Tufts. Many choose to declare an academic minor, which encourages investigations beyond the art world that support both their practice and personal growth. The Post-Baccalaureate program offers an intensive year of studio art study and practice, closely advised and supported by dedicated faculty. Contact admissions@smfa.edu for more information on SMFA’s programs of study.