The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards
The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards are the longest running, most prestigious competition and largest source of scholarships for creative teenagers in the United States. The Awards program was created in 1923 by Maurice R. "Robbie" Robinson, founder of Scholastic Corporation, and has been administered by the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers since 1994. It has an impressive legacy and a noteworthy roster of past winners including Andy Warhol, Sylvia Plath, Truman Capote, Richard Avedon, and Joyce Carol Oates and many others.
Established to ensure that literary and artistic talent were recognized in schools and communities across the country, the program began as a small writing contest; today, it offers recognition in 27 diverse categories including architecture, sculpture, painting, photography, poetry, dramatic script, fashion, animation, and video games. The Awards are open to all students in grades 7 through 12 from public, private and home schools throughout the U.S. (and its territories), as well as American-run schools abroad and community programs serving eligible student populations.
Selection Process
The program is structured to identify and recognize students through regional award designations (Gold Key, Silver Key, Honorable Mention, and American Visions and Voices Nominees) and national award designations (Gold Medal, Silver Medal, American Visions and Voices Medal). Regional awards are administered by a nationwide Regional Affiliate network that includes public and private school systems, nonprofit organizations, museums, foundations, arts agencies, teacher councils and institutions of higher education that share a commitment to encouraging and building a skill-set for the creative economy.
Submission to the Awards begins in September of each year as teens submit creative works to the affiliate in their region. The most outstanding works that receive regional awards and nominations are forwarded to the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers in New York City to be reviewed on a national level by panels of art and writing professionals for national award designations.
The Alliance for Young Artists and Writers gives out over a quarter of a million dollars in scholarships to top award-winning creative teens to help fund their continued education. Each year, 15 Portfolio Gold Medalists receive $10,000 awards, representing the highest level of achievement for graduating seniors. In addition, national award-winning seniors are eligible for scholarships from a network of 60-plus arts institutes, universities, colleges, and summer programs, which annually earmark well over $5 million in financial aid and scholarships for Scholastic Award winners.
The Scholastic Art Awards are also recognized by the Association of Independent Colleges of Art and Design (a consortium of leading art and design colleges in the U.S.) as an effective way for artistic students to develop successful portfolios for college admission.
Read more about this topic: Alliance For Young Artists & Writers
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—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
“Does art reflect life? In movies, yes. Because more than any other art form, films have been a mirror held up to society’s porous face.”
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—Raymond Chandler (1888–1959)