New York, NY (June 11, 2002) -- New York, NY - June 11, 2002 -The 79th Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, America's largest, longest running and most prestigious art recognition and scholarship program rewarding creative achievement by students nationwide in grades 7-12, will honor this year's 1,100 National Student Winners with a series of celebratory events and ceremonies in Washington, D.C., on June 14th and 15th. Distinguished past winners include Joyce Carol Oates, Andy Warhol, Robert Redford, Truman Capote, Richard Avedon, Sylvia Plath, Philip Pearlstein and Bernard Malamud.

Keynote Speakers
Civil rights pioneer and children's author Ruby Bridges to address hundreds of parents, teachers and winning students at the National Award Ceremony in the Concert Hall of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts on June 15th. Elizabeth Swados, the Tony Award nominated Broadway composer, novelist, poet and playwright to be guest speaker and Peter Travers, film critic and Senior Editor of Rolling Stone Magazine to emcee the awards ceremony. First Lady Laura Bush has taped a special message to congratulate this year's award recipients.

Corcoran Gallery of Art Exhibition
Approximately 255 pieces of award-winning, student artwork will be featured inThe Scholastic Art & Writing Awards National Exhibition of 2002, at the prestigious Corcoran Gallery of Art from Friday, June 14th - July 15th. A national catalog of winners including selected works of outstanding art and writing will be released to coincide with the exhibition and the national awards celebration weekend.

"The students who win The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards exemplify the creativity and talent of a new generation," said BJ Adler, Executive Director of the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers. "The best way to foster excellence is through acknowledgement and encouragement. We believe that achievement in art and writing is crucial to a successful education and future. Many of the great artists and writers who won these Awards say that this nod of recognition helped launch their career in the arts."

250,000 Student Entries
Each year, more than 250,000 works of art and writing are submitted through 90 regional affiliate competitions across the nation for consideration in 26 different categories. This year, approximately 50,000 young artists and writers received honors (Gold and Silver Keys) through regional programs. More than 25,000 of the finalists were entered into the national level of judging. National honors will be presented to 1,100 students who were selected by panels of jurors comprised of renowned artists, authors, educators and arts professionals.

The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards have grown to become America's largest and most prestigious scholarship program honoring creative achievement by students in grades 7-12, inspiring them to pursue their dreams to become artists or writers. Winners of the Portfolio Gold Awards, the most prestigious of The Scholastic Art and Writing Awards, will receive $5,000 scholarships. More than $1 million in cash and college scholarships will be awarded.

Background
M.R. Robinson, Scholastic Inc.'s founder, established The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards in 1923, and the Company continues to be the program's largest corporate sponsor. The Alliance for Young Artists & Writers, Inc. was founded in 1994 as a non-profit organization to administer The Awards and to expand its program for young people in the arts. The Alliance's mission is to recognize, encourage and reward young artist and writers, to empower arts educators by supporting and rewarding their classroom efforts and to cultivate creativity that is critical for the future of America's cultural heritage.

About Scholastic Corporation:
Scholastic is the world's largest publisher and distributor of children's books. As a global children's publishing and media company serving the needs of parents, teachers, and children, Scholastic provides proprietary book and software distribution through school book clubs, school book fairs and to classrooms, as well as through the retail trade. Since 1920, Scholastic has created quality educational materials for schools and has expanded its reach to include the distribution of books, software, toys, online learning services and television programming directly to the home. Scholastic's Grolier division is the leading print and online publisher of children's reference materials and the leader in children's direct-to-home book clubs. Internationally, Scholastic operates wholly owned companies in Argentina, Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, The Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and the United Kingdom. The U.S. Scholastic web site is a leading provider of educational services online for parents, teachers and children.

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