Young Artists Original Artworks Recognized by the Asheville Art Museum

On View through March 6

The Asheville Art Museum and the Asheville Area Section of the American Institute of Architects are the Western North Carolina (WNC) regional affiliates of the National Scholastic Art Awards. This ongoing community partnership has supported the creative talents of our region’s youth for more than 43 years. The WNC regional program is open to students in grades 7–12 across 20 WNC counties.

The regional program is judged in two groups: Group I, grades 7–8; and Group II, grades 9–12. Out of 534 total entries, 156 artworks have been recognized by the judges and are featured in this new exhibition.

The 2023 WNC regional judges are Kelly Hider of Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, Alexandria Monque of YMI Cultural Center and Noir Collective AVL, and Lei Han of University of North Carolina Asheville. The judges carefully viewed each entry then selected Gold Key, Silver Key, and Honorable Mention award recipients across all media. Artworks receiving Gold Keys have been submitted to compete in the 100th-Annual National Scholastic Art Awards Program in New York City.

Of the Gold Key Award recipients, five students have also been nominated for American Visions—indicating their artwork is one of the Best in Show of the WNC regional awards. One of these American Visions nominees will be chosen to receive an American Visions Medal at the 2023 National Scholastic Art Awards.

Since the program’s founding in 1923, the awards have fostered the creativity and talent of millions of students and include a distinguished list of alumni such as Tschabalala Self, Stephen King, Kay WalkingStick, Amanda Gorman, Charles White, Joyce Carol Oates, and Andy Warhol—all of whom received recognition in the awards when they were teens.

WNC award winners include students from public, private, homeschools, and charter schools in Buncombe, Burke, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Madison, McDowell, and Rutherford counties.

Five student Gold Key artists were selected as American Vision Award recipients as best of show: Anna Christensen, Eliza Conard, Jack Flournoy, William Peeler, and Briana Sosa-Trejo. From the pool of five, a panel of jurors in New York City will select one artist from each of Scholastic’s 100 regional affiliates to receive an American Visions Medal. These medalists from throughout the nation are celebrated during national events and exhibits in New York City in June.

For more information about the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers and the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, visit the Scholastic Newsroom.

Download Student Artworks

Link to Award Video