Seven students win awards for their Scholastic Art & Writing Award entries
The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards is the nation’s longest-running and most prestigious scholarship and recognition initiative for creative teens across the country in grades 7–12 with 29 different categories to submit work into.
The Awards have fostered creativity and talent since 1923 for millions of students and feature a notable list of alumni recipients including: Richard Avedon, Truman Capote, Stephen King, Sylvia Plath, Robert Redford and Andy Warhol; and more recently, Richard Linklater and Zac Posen.
All works are evaluated through blind adjudication first on a regional level by more than 100 local affiliates of the Alliance and then nationally by an impressive panel of creative-industry experts. This past year’s group of distinguished jurors included graphic novelist Art Spiegelman; authors Elissa Schappell, Daniel José Older, and Naomi Jackson; artist Mickalene Thomas; and film producer Michael Raisler. At each level of judging, all works are selected to move on to the next stage based on the same criteria that have represented the program since its founding in 1923: originality, technical skill, and emergence of personal vision or voice.
We are very proud announce this year’s winners!
- Drew Geralds – Gold – Poetry – “Michelangelo in Love”
- Ashton Taylor – Silver – Poetry – “My Faults and Experiences”
- Katie Barnett – Silver – Poetry – “Whiteout”
- Drew Geralds – Honorable Mention – Poetry – “Capabilities of Coming of Age”
- Drew Geralds – Honorable Mention – Short Story – “Red”
- Maya Antes – Honorable Mention – Poetry Collection
- Trevor Bennati – Honorable Mention – Short Story – “Lover’s Quarrel”
- Naudia Williams – Honorable Mention – Poetry – “Prejudice”
- Victoria Padovan – Honorable Mention – Flash Fiction – “Last Sip of Merlot”
“We have some incredible writing talent here at Admiral Farragut Academy,” said senior English teacher, Mrs. Ewing. “Our students inspire each other to plow, unafraid, into their own creativity. We write each day in class and I am always amazed at what they can come up with in ten minutes of writing.”
Drew Geralds’ poetry piece “Michelangelo in Love” won the Gold and will continue on to compete nationally.
“Each of the poems in my piece are inspired by one of Michelangelo’s paintings, but has my own personal perspective,” said Geralds ‘17, a 7-day boarding student at Farragut who also plays soccer and enjoys sailing at the waterfront. “I’ve written songs since I was younger and I started getting into poetry in middle school, but my sophomore year after coming to Farragut and joining Poetry Club, I got really into it.”
In March 2017 they will announce the winners of the National Recipients & Sponsored Awards. In June the National Gold Medal Portfolio and Gold Medalists will be honored at Carnegie Hall with their families and educators. “If I win I definitely think my grandmother and I will go for it,” said Geralds. “It would be a big accomplishment.” Last year’s ceremony included special appearances by Alec Baldwin, Ken Burns, Billy Collins, Tim Gunn and Sonia Manzano.
“Teenagers are pushing artistic boundaries and challenging themselves creatively every day, and we are deeply honored to recognize their efforts and accomplishments,” said Virginia McEnerney, Executive Director of the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers. “For nearly a century, the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards have not only provided a launching pad for many extraordinary artists and writers, but also lets millions of teens know that creative thinking, problem solving and experimentation serve them well in any path they chose in life.”