Willamette Valley Students Receive NATIONAL ART AWARDS

Photo:
Oregon’s 37 Death Row Inmates
Mixed Media – Gold Key
Ana Camarena
Grade 12
Woodburn Arts and Communications Academy
Teacher: Catherine Johnston

 

WILLAMETTE VALLEY STUDENTS RECEIVE NATIONAL ART AWARDS

AND WILL BE CELEBRATED AT CARNEGIE HALL
IN NEW YORK CITY

The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards of 2013

Honor the Nation’s Most Talented Young Artists and Writers

Philomath, OR – March 15, 2013 – Four Willamette Valley students have won prestigious national Awards for their outstanding artwork through The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, the 90 year-old national program that recognizes outstanding creative teenagers and offers scholarship opportunities for graduating high school seniors. One Willamette Valley student earned an American Visions Medal, one earned both a Gold Medal and Best In Grade, and two earned Silver Medals! The free, public, exhibition of Gold Key art is open at Benton County Museum through March 30, 2013.

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. Everyone may join a LIVE Webcast from Carnegie Hall in New York City by visiting http://www.artandwriting.org/carnegiewebcast2013.

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

Oregon’s 37 Death Row Inmates
Mixed Media – Regional Gold Key, National Gold Medal, National Best In Grade
Artist: Ana Camarena
Grade: 12
Woodburn Arts and Communications Academy
Teacher: Catherine Johnstone

Dress The Stars
Painting – Regional Gold Key, Regional American Visions Nominee, National American Visions Medal
Artist: Alyssa Rolen
Grade: 12
Corvallis High School
Teacher: Julia Lont

The Companion
Painting – Regional Gold Key, Regional American Visions Nominee, National Silver Medal
Artist: Shannon Bell
Grade: 11
Crescent Valley High School
Teacher: Victoria Eastwood

Art Portfolio – Regional Gold Key, National Silver Medal
Artist: Tyler Davis
Grade: 12
Philomath High School
Teacher: Rachel Kirby

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 entries that earned Gold Key awards this year were invited to exhibit their art at the Benton County Museum through March 30. 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.

2013 Willamette Valley sponsors include Oregon Art Education Association, Benton County Historical Society, Blick Art Materials, and Pioneer Telephone Cooperative.