Entering Your Work into The Scholastic Art and Writing Awards
Gaining recognition as a young artist can give you a significant boost in your creative career. Awards help increase your work's visibility and legitimacy, and financial awards and scholarships can help further your creative education. The longest-running and most prestigious of these opportunities for young creatives in the United States are the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards. Read on to learn more about these awards and how to enter your work.
The History of the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards
Founded in 1923 and celebrating its centennial this year, the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards have inspired exceptionally creative teens across the United States, US territories or military bases, and Canada to submit bold and creative works spanning 28 categories.
The Scholastic Art and Writing Awards has an impressive alum roster, including Tschabalala Self, Zac Posen, Lucianne Walkowicz, Stephen King, Kay WalkingStick, Sylvia Plath, and Andy Warhol. The awards are presented by the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers. This nonprofit organization aims to identify students with exceptional artistic and literary talent and give them an international platform.
The Scholastic Art and Writing Awards
The Scholastic Art and Writing Awards celebrate the awardee's work through local and national award ceremonies, exhibitions, publications, and scholarships.
Local Awards
All Scholastic Art and Writing Awards entries are considered for the Gold Key, Silver Key, Honorable Mention, American Voices Nominee, and American Visions Nominee. Awards will be presented to students, along with award ceremonies and exhibitions in each region.
National Awards
Gold Key winners will be considered for Gold Medal, Silver Medal with Distinction, Silver Medal, and scholarship awards at the national level. A list of the national medalists will be published on the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards website in the spring.
American Voices & Visions Award
Regional programs for the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards nominate five Gold Key winners for the American Voices Award or American Visions Award. The work must have an original, authentic voice or vision, but this will look different for each region. Jurors will then select one nominee from each region for the award.
National Ceremony
Hundreds of Scholastic Art and Writing Award winners will be honored with a national ceremony in New York City, which has included special guests like Oprah Winfrey, Tim Gunn, Alec Baldwin, Sonia Manzano, Tituss Burgess, Amy Schumer, Billy Collins, Whoopi Goldberg, and Sarah Jessica Parker.
Exhibitions
Works of art and writing from the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards National Medalists will be featured in an exhibition in New York City, traditionally mounted at The New School and Pratt Institute. They are also exhibited annually in Washington, D.C., and in traveling exhibitions at institutions including the Museum of Fine Arts Houston, Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Arnot Art Museum, and Josyln Art Museum.
Publications
Selections of work will be highlighted annually in Best Teen Art and Best Teen Writing, and a list of the National Medalists is included in the Yearbook.
Scholarships
The Scholastic Art and Writing Awards include various scholarships and cash awards up to $12,500. The Flaunt It Award offers a $1,000 scholarship to one artist and one writer whose work celebrates individual differences. The Herblock Award for Editorial Cartoon offers $1,000 scholarships for three students whose visual artwork offers commentary or criticism on current events.
The Portfolio Awards offers $12,500 scholarships to Gold Metal Portfolio winners and $2,000 to Silver Medal with Distinction Portfolio winners who have submitted a portfolio of six works. The New York Life Award offers $1,000 scholarships to six students whose work explores personal grief, loss, and bereavement and state scholarships for select states.
The Scholastic Art and Writing Awards also hosts the Scholastic Awards Summer Scholarship Program, which provides full-tuition scholarships to attend summer art or writing programs. The Alliance/ACT-SO Journey Award offers full-tuition scholarships to attend art or writing programs for students of African descent who currently participate in the NAACP’s ACT-SO program.
Finally, several colleges and universities have partnered with the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers and offer financial aid for college-bound Scholastic Awards winners. See a list of participating institutions here.
How to Enter the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards
To enter, students and educators will create an account by registering online here. You will then upload your best work and select one of the following categories:
Architecture & Industrial Design
Ceramics & Glass
Comic Art
Design
Digital Art
Drawing & Illustration
Editorial Cartoon
Expanded Projects
Fashion
Film & Animation
Jewelry
Mixed Media
Painting
Photography
Printmaking
Sculpture
Critical Essay
Dramatic Script
Flash Fiction
Journalism
Humor
Novel Writing
Personal Essay & Memoir
Poetry
Science Fiction & Fantasy
Short Story
Art Portfolio (graduating seniors)
Writing Portfolio (graduating seniors)
You will send in your entry form with your entry fee, $10 per individual entry and $30 per portfolio, or a Fee Waiver Form if the fee is a barrier to your participation. Applications open in September, and deadlines vary between December and January, depending on your region. You must be in grades 7-12 and at least 13 years old to apply.
Selection Criteria
Lastly, you may wonder what goes into evaluating your work for these awards. Firstly, entries are selected for awards without knowing your gender, age, ethnicity, or hometown. Judges are some of the foremost leaders in the visual and literary arts. Judges have included Scholastic Art and Writing Award alums including Michael Bierut, Philip Pearlstein, Edward Sorel, and Red Grooms, and other luminaries including Langston Hughes, Robert Frost, and Judy Blume.
Jurors look for works that exemplify the following core values:
Originality. They want your work to be unique, blur boundaries, and challenge assumptions. It should be different than anything the judges have seen or reference other creators in original and meaningful ways.
Skill. They are looking for good craftsmanship, critical thinking, problem-solving, creativity, or any other skill that is relevant to your work.
A Personal Voice or Vision. They are looking for work with an authentic perspective that stands out from classroom work or social media trends.
If you are interested in applying to the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards, consider applying to the 1:1 Mentorship Program at InspiritAI! Artificial Intelligence is intersecting with art and writing now more than ever, and our mentors – hailing from the world's top research institutions and tech companies – will walk you through an entire project from start to end. Whether you are a coding novice or a virtuoso, our individualized mentorship program will help you develop an exceptional project. For more information, do not hesitate to contact InspiritAI with questions.
