Today, the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers announced the national medalists of the 2022 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, which includes a record high 22 recipients of the Awards’ high honor—the Gold Medal Portfolio.
The Alliance for Young Artists & Writers is delighted to announce the National Medalists for this year’s Scholastic Art & Writing Awards—the nation’s longest running and most prestigious program for creative teens in grades 7–12!
This year, student participation is up 25% from 2021, with more than 260,000 works of art and writing submitted by teens from U.S. territories, Canada, and every state in the nation for adjudication. Students had the opportunity to enter any of the Awards’ 28 categories —including drawing and illustration, photography, flash fiction, poetry, film and animation, and journalism— as well as a variety of sponsored award scholarships.
To honor the challenges this year’s participants overcame and the accomplishments they have achieved, as well as celebrate the Awards’ return to Carnegie Hall after a two-year hiatus, the Awards have identified a record-high 22 recipients of the program’s highest honor in 2022—the Gold Medal Portfolio.
The 22 high school seniors receiving this honor will each receive a $10,000 scholarship, and the educators who supported them during the development and submission of their award-winning portfolios will receive recognition as well.
The 2022 Gold Medal Portfolio Award recipients are:
Gold Portfolios, Art:
- Lily Arnold, Franklin, TN; Educator: Michael Boyle
- Gina Bae, Palo Alto, CA; Educator: Alan Chan
- Mac Barnes, Durham, NC; Educator: Carrie Alter
- Hayden Brashear, Denver, CO; Educator: Martin Loftus
- Lorie Chen, Troy, MI; Educator: Todd Burroughs
- Dessa Ely, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Educator: Matthew Vary & Glen Novak
- Ava Hudson, Portland, OR; Educator: Addy Kessler
- Shaeley Lincoln, Townson, MD; Educator: Joe Cypressi
- Tess Nelson, Eden Prairie, MN; Educator: Rebecca Johannsen
- Andrew Palmer, Richmond, VA; Educator: Genevieve Dowdy & Mary Scurlock
- Franchesca Vilmenay, Boston, MA; Educator: Sara Macaulay
Gold Portfolios, Writing:
- Amina Adeyola, Chesterfield, VA; Educator: Cindy Cunningham & Gail Giewont
- Samantha Aikman, Jericho, VT; Educator: Spencer Rosner
- Serene Almehmi, Vestavia, AL; Educator: Ben Davis
- Ashley Binstock, Wahoo, NE; Educator: Marisa Grady
- Claudia Comini, APO, AE; Educator: Heather Gurnsey
- Mukta Dharmapurikar, Durham, NC; Educator: Adam Cluff
- Maya McFadden, Jackson, MS; Educator: Sarah Ballard
- William Meng, Novi, MI; Educator: Eric Sutton
- Destiny Ouellette, Vernon Rockville, CT; Educator: Victoria Nordlund
- Deja Robinson, New Orleans, LA; Educator: Anne Gisleson
- Trini Rogando, Alexandria, VA; Educator: Josephine Porcelli
Additionally, the Alliance has named distinguished multidisciplinary artist Derek Fordjour as this year’s recipient of the 2022 Alumni Achievement Award. This accolade is given to esteemed alumni whose innovative careers have influenced their industries and who credit their first acknowledgement in the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards as a pivotal moment in their teenage years, providing confidence and encouragement to explore the arts and beyond.
Congratulations to Derek and the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards’ 2022 Gold Medal Portfolio recipients and their educators, as well as all the national Award-winning students!
Please stay tuned in the coming weeks as we’ll be featuring a brand-new and exclusive series dedicated to the educators who participate in the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, right here on the blog.
Find out more about this year’s Awards on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn. And don’t forget to tag on social media using @ArtAndWriting #GoldKey!
Cover photo: Courtesy of the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers; Photos in body: Courtesy of the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers
