(New York, March 14, 2023)—The nonprofit Alliance for Young Artists & Writers and The Metropolitan Museum of Art have announced the opening of the ninth annual New York City Scholastic Art & Writing Awards exhibition at The Met’s Ruth and Harold D. Uris Center for Education. This special exhibition features the 295 works of art and 288 works of writing that received top regional awards—the Gold Key—by New York City-based participants of the 2023 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, the country's longest-running and most prestigious award and recognition program for creative teens. These works, which were recognized from nearly 12,000 works submitted to the New York City regional program of the Awards by more than 3,000 students in grades 7–12, representing nearly 300 schools from all five boroughs, are eligible to receive national honors through a second round of judging, which can provide additional opportunities for exhibition and publication as well as access to scholarships.
To learn more about the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, visit: www.artandwriting.org.
The exhibition at The Met is free and open to the public during regular Museum hours, March 24 through May 21, 2023. To celebrate the student writers and artists included in the exhibit, the Museum will be hosting a private opening reception for students, family members, educators, and friends on Friday, March 24, at 6 p.m. with remarks by Christopher Wisniewski, Executive Director, Alliance for Young Artists & Writers, Heidi Holder, Frederick P. and Sandra P. Rose Chair of Education, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and David C. Banks, Chancellor of the New York City Department of Education, as well as a selection of 2023 Gold Key-winning students.
“It’s a privilege for The Metropolitan Museum of Art to continue to host the New York City Scholastic Art & Writing Awards exhibition this year,” said Holder. “The young people participating in this exhibition have devoted their time and creative energy to these works, and we’re proud to show their art at the Museum. Art making—drawing, painting, collage, sculpture, photography, and more—helps young people make sense of our complex world and allows them to express that understanding to others. As such, this annual exhibition showcases the hopes, hearts, and ideas of our young people and offers a rare glimpse into their youthful, hopeful vision for what comes next in our ever-changing world.”
The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards have honored distinguished artists since 1923, including Andy Warhol, Cy Twombly, Kay WalkingStick, John Baldessari, Luis Jiménez, and Catherine Murphy, all of whom have works in The Met collection. Works are selected for awards based on originality, skill, and the emergence of a personal vision or voice—without knowledge of the student’s name, gender, age, ethnicity, or hometown—by some of the foremost leaders in the visual and literary arts. This year, the exhibition displays original works in the Painting, Mixed Media, Printmaking, and Drawing and Illustration categories. All writing works can be accessed virtually along with works in the Films and Animation and 3D categories. Printed reproductions of all other works will be prominently showcased in the Carson Family Hall.
“It is such a thrill for the Alliance to once again partner with The Met to share the extraordinary achievements of the city's creative teenagers with an international audience,” said Wisniewski. “As we mark the 100th anniversary of the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, we look to the future, and the exceptional young people whose voices and visions are presented in this exhibition are truly leading the way.”
The Alliance partners with Parsons School of Design at The New School and Eugene Lang College of Liberal Arts at The New School to present the regional New York City Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. The 2023 New York City Scholastic Art & Writing Awards exhibition at The Met is presented with generous support from Scholastic Inc., the Maurice R. Robinson Fund, Blick Art Materials, the Dedalus Foundation, the William Talbott Hillman Foundation, the Wolf Kahn Foundation, and the Cowles Charitable Trust, and by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council.
To learn more about the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, visit the Scholastic Media Room online at mediaroom.scholastic.com/artandwriting.
About the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers
The Alliance for Young Artists & Writers, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, identifies teenagers with exceptional creative talent and brings their remarkable work to a national audience through the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. Founded in 1923, the awards program is the longest-running, most prestigious initiative of its kind, having fostered the creativity and talent of millions of students through recognition, exhibition, publication, and scholarships. artandwriting.org
About The Met
The Metropolitan Museum of Art was founded in 1870 by a group of American citizens—businessmen and financiers as well as leading artists and thinkers of the day—who wanted to create a museum to bring art and art education to the American people. Today, The Met displays tens of thousands of objects covering 5,000 years of art from around the world for everyone to experience and enjoy. The Museum lives in two iconic sites in New York City—The Met Fifth Avenue and The Met Cloisters. Millions of people also take part in The Met experience online. Since its founding, The Met has always aspired to be more than a treasury of rare and beautiful objects. Every day, art comes alive in the Museum's galleries and through its exhibitions and events, revealing both new ideas and unexpected connections across time and across cultures. www.metmuseum.org
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