Inspiring Young Artists & Writers

The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards began as a small writing contest with a $5 prize and six winning applicants in 1923. Today, more than 77, 000 teens in grades 7 through 12 from around the nation submitted more than 165,000 works of art and writing in 30 categories. Winning students earn opportunities for recognition, exhibition, publication and scholarships.

The Awards, now administered by the nonprofit Alliance for Young Artists & Writers, not only celebrate the rich future of artistic America, but also document its past. The program has been credited with identifying early talent in several of America’s cultural icons, including Truman Capote (1932), Richard Avedon (1941), Andy Warhol (ca. 1945), Sylvia Plath (1947), Robert Redford (1954) and Zac Posen (1998), each of whom won the award when they were in high school.

Student works are evaluated by industry leaders and exhibited in New York City venues, giving audiences a body of top-notch work that inspires them to appreciate creative teens for their maturity, talent and originality. For most young winners, this recognition is their first experience of being identified as serious artists and writers, and the impact on their self-perception can be life-changing. Richard Avedon called winning his Scholastic Award, “the defining moment of my life.”

The program is proud to have fostered that same encouragement in millions of young people for almost a century. Since the program’s inception, The Awards have encouraged more than 13 million students, recognized over 9 million young artists and writers, and made available $25 million in awards and scholarships. Scholastic continues to be actively involved in the evolution of the program and remains The Awards’ largest corporate funder.

According to Alliance for Young Artists & Writers’ Executive Director, Virginia McEnerney, “Scholastic’s commitment to fostering creativity in America is unprecedented. We are honored to build on the program’s incredible legacy to provide inspiration and resources for creative teens and the teachers who guide and support them.” Visit the Alliance’s website to learn more about the program and to view remarkable work by the nation’s top teen artists and writers: www.artandwriting.org.