About the Awards
The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards have an impressive legacy dating back to 1923 and a noteworthy roster of past winners including Andy Warhol, Sylvia Plath, Truman Capote, Richard Avedon, Robert Redford and Joyce Carol Oates.
The Awards are an important opportunity for students to be recognized for their creative talents. Each year, the Alliance partners with more than 100 visual and literary-arts focused organizations across the country to bring The Awards to local communities. Teens in grades 7 through 12 can apply in 28 categories of art and writing for the chance to earn scholarships and have their works exhibited or published.
Submissions are juried by luminaries in the visual and literary arts, some of whom are past award recipients. Panelists look for works that best exemplify originality, technical skill and the emergence of a personal voice or vision.
To date, the Awards have encouraged over 13 million students, recognized more than 9 million young artists and writers, and made available more than $25 million in awards and scholarships. They continue to be the longest-running, most prestigious recognition program for creative teens in the U.S., and the largest source of scholarships for young artists and writers.
What You Can Win
RECOGNITION
Students who win at the regional level are celebrated at local ceremonies and have their work showcased in exhibitions, publications and at public readings. National Medalists are celebrated at a prestigious Carnegie Hall ceremony and have their work showcased in reputable galleries in New York City.
Regional Awards- Gold Key: The highest level of achievement on the regional level. Approximately 7 – 10% of all regional submissions are recognized with Gold Key Awards and all are considered for national-level recognition.
- Silver Key: Approximately 10 – 15% of all regional submissions are recognized with Silver Key Awards.
- Honorable Mention: This Award recognizes students with artistic potential. Approximately 15 – 20% of all regional submissions receive Honorable Mention Awards.
- American Visions & Voices Nominees: Five works are selected out of all Gold Key works (across categories) as the "Best of Show" for each region.
- Gold Medal: The most outstanding works in the nation.
- Silver Medal: Works demonstrating high honors on the national level.
- American Visions & Voices Medal: An esteemed panel of jurors selects the best of the five American Voices & Visions Nominees from each region to receive national recognition with the American Visions & Voices Medal.
EXHIBITION
The Alliance's Regional Programs mount more than 70 art exhibitions in museums and galleries across the country. Regional exhibitions include Milwaukee Art Museum, WI; Miami Art Museum, FL; Ft. Wayne Museum of Art, IN; Stauth Memorial Museum, KS; College for Creative Studies, MI; Mississippi Museum of Art, MS; and Armory Center for the Arts, CA; among many others.
The 2012 National ART.WRITE.NOW NYC Exhibition, showcasing National Gold Medalist work, will be on display in New York City in June 2012 coinciding with the national celebration at Carnegie Hall on June 1, 2012. Approximately 300 works of art and more than 50 works of writing from the National Award winners will be included in the exhibition. The Alliance also holds ongoing exhibitions at the U.S. Department of Education and the President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities and in cities across the country via the ART.WRITE.NOW national touring exhibition.
PUBLICATION
Selections from The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards are published in the National Catalog, Best Teen Writing, and Spark (anthology of work by middle school students), which are distributed free of charge to schools and libraries nationwide. Works have also appeared in Scholastic publications including The Best Young Writers & Artists in America (Push), Scope magazine, Junior Scholastic magazine, Scholastic Art magazine, New York Times Upfront magazine.
SCHOLARSHIPS
The Alliance presents over $250,000 annually in awards and scholarships to top winners of the Awards and their teachers. National Medalist seniors are eligible to receive scholarships through partnerships with esteemed colleges and universities. Click here to learn more!
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