Established in 1923, the Scholastics Art & Writing Awards are one of the most prestigious competitions for young artists today. Each year, thousands of students enter their pieces in their district’s competition. Their works are then judged by experienced, artistic trailblazers; past jurors for the literary categories have included iconic authors among the likes of Langston Hughes and Judy Blume. The jurors evaluate the pieces based on their creativity, authenticity, and skill level. Most importantly, the pieces must display the “emergence of a personal voice or vision.”

This year, several Maggie Walker students submitted their own work and received awards in both the arts and writing categories. The visual arts department alone collected a whopping 52 awards. Eleven of these awards were Gold Keys: Ananthu Anish (‘26), Hiya Agarwal (‘25), Madeline Bridges (‘26), Lucie Bouton (‘24), Yeeva Chunnanond (‘24), Rachel Dai (‘24), Tyler DeHaven (‘26), Lina Khatcheressian (‘24), Stella McCormack (‘26), Molly Morrison (‘25), and Caroline Walton (‘26) all placed first in their categories, and their work will move to the state level. Maggie Walker writers also fared extremely well in their respective categories. Mercedes Luna (‘25), Hareem Mubashar (‘24), Yan Angela Yu (‘27), Isaiah Hathaway (‘25), and Priya Kumar (‘27) received honorable mentions while Natalie Koehn-Wu (‘24), Avery Redmond (‘24), Lucy Gates (‘25), and Sydney Brewer (‘24) received Silver Keys. Crash Ackerly (‘24) won a Gold Key as well as an American Voices Medal Nomination in the critical essay category, and his work will continue to be judged at the state level.

Historically, Maggie Walker students have done well garnering Scholastic Art and Writing Awards. The school is proud of its outstanding collection of young artists and writers. Many students attribute their success to a couple factors that they believe aid their processes. 

First, the students’ art and other pieces originate from powerful sources of inspiration. Some artists chose to examine their own character while creating their piece. Walton stated, “My piece is a self-portrait that reflects an aspect of my identity, and for me that is my love of all things vintage and retro.” Some winning writing pieces combined both internal and external factors; Koehn-Wu commented, “I used my writing in order to further analyze my own views on complex subjects and to convey the emotions I felt while processing these experiences.” 

Furthermore, Maggie Walker’s success in the Scholastics Awards this year could be a direct result of the passion students feel towards their work. When asked about the importance of art in the modern world, Agarwal stated, “Art and writing breathe color and wonder into life. Without them, we would not have the deep and meaningful connections we do with the world, others, and ourselves.” Koehn-Wu also elaborated on the significance of art, saying, “Writing and art are essential to the human experience, and the continued development of their roles in society are essential to the overall growth of the human race.”

However, debatably the most crucial reason behind the Scholastics Awards success is the support from the writing and visual arts department. The encouragement from Maggie Walker teachers and staff for young artists to share their work is incredibly helpful to students. Walton credited the submission of her Gold Key artwork to her art teacher, Coach Hall, and said that she “would not have even thought to enter [her] piece into the Scholastics Awards Competition if Coach Hall hadn't encouraged [her] to.” Agarwal also stated that the general student body is supportive of artistic endeavors at Maggie Walker, adding that “the student body [is] consistently amazed by the quality and the thoughtfulness of the arts at school, as we are lucky to have an administration that allows us to display our work, which can be seen [while] meandering the halls.” 

Evidently, the educators sponsoring students’ Scholastics Awards entries truly believe in the importance of creating and sharing art in the world. While discussing the benefits of writing and making art, Ms. Sheppard said, “When we write, we express. When we share, we empower, we grow, and we offer a lens through which our audience can relate to or learn from our perspective.” Moreover, entering the Scholastics Awards Competition is encouraged not for the sole purpose of winning an award recognition, but to aid the growth of developing artists. Ms. Love, who sponsored several of the student writers’ submissions, said, “When students enter their work in writing contests, there's this inherent pressure for some kind of recognition or a pat on the back, but what I'm really hoping for them is more than just an award – it's about uncovering layers of themselves and growing through their art and writing. Whether it's through storytelling, poetry, or visual art, students can use their creations to explore their own identities, challenge societal norms, and develop a deeper understanding of themselves and the world around them.”

Overall, Maggie Walker offers a truly conducive environment for youth artists who wish to uncover their own “personal voice,” and the school supports students in their exploration of the world around them. Maggie Walker students’ success in the Scholastics Awards Competition ultimately proves that art and writing will continue to be a critical part of the students’ creative development and experience at Maggie Walker. Thank you to all the educators who continue to champion the arts, and congratulations to all of the winners of the 2024 Scholastics Art and Writing Awards!

Information retrieved from Scholastics Art & Writing Awards.