Last Friday, March 23rd, the nonprofit Alliance for Young Artists & Writers and The Metropolitan Museum of Art debuted the fourth annual New York City Scholastic Art & Writing Awards exhibition, displaying artwork and showcasing writing pieces from students in the New York City area. Students, educators, family, and friends crowded into the Ruth and Harold D. Uris Center for Education at the museum, taking pictures in front of their Gold Key-winning pieces and listening quietly, but excitedly to their peers read their work.
It’s inspiring to see young people so eager to share their work and publicly show how they interpret the world through art and writing. Bronwen, a 16-year-old Gold Key recipient, was more than thrilled to be given the chance to read from her piece “Canary.” She kicked off the reading presentation with her poem about a “metaphorical, not literal canary,” as she clarified prior to reading aloud.
The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, presented by the Alliance, are the nation’s longest-running and most prestigious recognition program for creative teens in grades 7–12. The Awards encourage teens to express themselves by submitting works that explore pressing, relevant, and personal topics in innovative ways. Works exploring topics including race, LGBTQ issues, politics, mental health and identity were especially prevalent this year.
Past Award recipients include Truman Capote, Cy Twombly, Joyce Carol Oates, Lena Dunham, Sylvia Plath, and Andy Warhol. In light of today’s political and social climate, these creative teens are well on their way to becoming prominent voices of their generation; making a difference through their art.
This year, over 4,000 students from more than 300 schools in the five boroughs submitted almost 11,000 works of poetry, prose, personal essay, fiction, photography, sketches, paintings, prints, and more to the New York City region of the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, a local Affiliate of the Alliance. Almost 300 literary and visual arts professionals served as judges—selecting student works based on “originality, technical skill, and emergence of a personal voice or vision” to be awarded Gold or Silver Keys.
High school senior Erica stood beaming next to her mixed media art print and Gold Key winning piece “Technical Difficulties;” posing for pictures with her family and friends who had come to support her. The piece features colorful, vintage television sets and could even be compared to some of Warhol’s works.
More than 600 of Gold Key winners’ art and writing pieces are now on display at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, free to the public during regular Museum hours. Be sure to check it out now through May 29, 2018! Learn more: https://www.metmuseum.org/exhibitions/listings/2018/scholastic-awards.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Ruth and Harold D. Uris Center for Education
1000 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10028
Open Seven Days a Week
Sunday–Thursday: 10 am–5:30 pm
Friday and Saturday: 10 am–9 pm
Thank you to our intern Amanda Livingston for this wonderful post!
Worthy by Clara Kim, Grade 12, Age 17 © Alliance for Young Artists & Writers/Scholastic Art & Writing Awards.
