Willamette Valley Students Receive National art Awards

The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards of 2012
Honor the Nation’s Most Talented Young Artists and Writers

Philomath, OR - March 15, 2012 – Six Willamette Valley students have won prestigious national Awards for their outstanding artwork through The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, the 89 year-old national program that recognizes outstanding creative teenagers and offers scholarship opportunities for graduating high school seniors. Two Willamette Valley students earned Gold Medals and four earned Silver Medals! The free, public, exhibition of Gold Key art is open at Benton County Museum through March 31, 2012.

The nonprofit Alliance for Young Artists & Writers, which administers the Awards, will honor national winners at a special ceremony at the world-famous Carnegie Hall in New York City on May 31. Select award-winning art and writing will be exhibited in Manhattan.

This year’s Award recipients from the Willamette Valley region are:

Waiting for the Man
Photography – Regional Gold Key, National Gold Medal
Isabel Morgan
Grade: 8
Sweet Home Junior High School
Teacher: Trey Hagen

Vase
Ceramics & Glass – Regional Gold Key, National Gold Medal, and Oregon Potters Association Award
Bergen Sather
Grade: 10
Corvallis High School
Teacher: Christa Schmeder

Bruce
Mixed Media – Regional Gold Key, National Silver Medal
Zach Prescod
Grade: 11
Delphian School
Teacher: Russty Gill

Summer Sunset
Ceramics & Glass – Regional Gold Key, National Silver Medal, and Oregon Potters Association Award
Nathan Stucki
Grade: 12
Philomath High School
Teacher: Rachel Kirby

Behind the Veil
Drawing – Regional Gold Key, National Silver Medal
Troianne Wilkinson
Grade: 10
South Albany High School
Teacher: Lorina Johnson

Untitled
Ceramics & Glass - Gold Key, National Silver Medal
Nate Rockey
Grade: 12
Corvallis High School
Teacher: Christa Schmeder


The first level of recognition for these students’ outstanding work took place through the Willamette Valley Scholastic Art Awards at Benton County Museum, one of 116 affiliate organizations nationwide that, in partnership with the Alliance, conduct The Scholastic Art Awards in Benton, Lane, Linn, Lincoln, Marion, Polk and Yamhill Counties. The 63 entries that earned Gold Key awards this year were invited to exhibit their art at the Benton County Museum through March 31. More information and photos are online at www.bentoncountymuseum.org.

These students join the ranks of some of our country’s most revered artists and writers who have received Scholastic Art & Writing Awards when they were high school, including Robert Redford, Andy Warhol, Truman Capote, John Lithgow, Joyce Carol Oates, John Baldesarri, Philip Pearlstein, Zac Posen, Sylvia Plath, Richard Avedon, Robert Indiana and Abdi Farah (winner of the Bravo reality show Work of Art: The Next Great Artist).

The annual Awards competition begins locally as students in grades 7-12 submit works of art and writing to their local affiliates, which are evaluated by a panel of jurors comprised of artists, authors, educators and other arts professionals. Works are judged on originality, technical skill and the emergence of a personal vision or voice and those receiving top honors are then submitted for national adjudication. Notable past and current national jurors include Robert Frost, Chuck Paluhniak, Gary Panter, Frank McCourt, Judy Blume, Billy Collins, Peggy Noonan, William Saroyan, KiKi Smith and Lesley Stahl.

Since 1923, the Awards have recognized more than 13 million students and made available over $25 million in scholarships. They continue to be the longest-running, most prestigious recognition program for creative teens and the largest source of scholarships for young artists and writers. The program is generously supported by Scholastic Inc., Maurice R. Robinson Foundation, Jack Kent Cooke Foundation, Command Web Offset, AMD Foundation, The New York Times, Dick Blick Co., Ovation, and New York Life Foundation.

Willamette Valley sponsors include Alison Kirby & Daniel Calzaretta, Beard's Frame Shops, Benton County Historical Society, Benton County Schools Credit Union. Blick Art Materials, Blick Art Portland, Charles & Dianne Singleton, Citizen's Bank, Corvallis Art Guild, Creative Crafts and Frame Shop, Davis Publications, Fred Meyer, Georgie's Ceramics & Clay Company, Integrated Resource Management, Jim & Elaine Kirby, Mona Lisa's Custom Framing, Office Max, Oregon Potters Assocation, Oregon State University Bookstore, Oregon State University JumpStART Summer Art Workshop, Olufson Designs , Pacific Northwest College of Art, Pegasus Frame Studio & Gallery, Pioneer Telephone Cooperative, Powell Construction, SELCO Community Credit Union, Starker Forests, and The Color Wheel Company.