The Museum recognizes Western North Carolina youth for their original artworks 

Asheville, NC -- The Asheville Art Museum has announced the regional award recipients of the 2024 Scholastic Art Awards. Award winners will be featured in a student exhibition in the Museum's Van Winkle Law Firm Gallery and Multipurpose Space from January 24 - March 25, 2024. All regional award recipients will be honored at a closing reception on March 21.

The Asheville Art Museum and the Asheville Area Section of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) are the Western North Carolina (WNC) regional Affiliate Partners of the National Scholastic Art Awards. This ongoing community partnership has supported the creative talents of our region’s youth for 44 years. The WNC regional program is open to students in grades 7–12, ages 13-18, across 24 counties.
 
“I’m thrilled to witness the incredible talent showcased in the 2024 Western North Carolina Scholastic Art Awards exhibition,” said Susan Hendley, School & Teacher Programs Manager at the Asheville Art Museum. “This is a celebration of original works by students across the WNC region and highlights the profound impact of arts education.” 

The regional program is judged in two groups: Group I, grades 7–9 and Group II, grades 10–12. Out of more than 500 total art entries, over 200 works have been recognized by the judges; Gold and Silver Key awards are featured in this exhibition, with select Honorable Mentions displayed digitally. The 2024 regional judges include Victoria Bradbury, Associate Professor and Chair of New Media at UNC Asheville, Andrew Davis, Studio Technician and instructor at Winthrop University, and Jenny Pickens, a native Asheville artist and educator. 

Those works receiving Gold Keys have been submitted to compete in the 101st 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 work is the Best in Show of the regional awards. One of these American Visions Nominees will receive an American Visions Medal at the 2024 National Scholastic Art Awards.

About the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards      

Founded in 1923, the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards are presented by the 501(c)3 nonprofit organization the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers, and are made possible through the generosity of Scholastic Inc., the New York Life Foundation, The Maurice R. Robinson Fund, Bloomberg Philanthropies, Command Companies, The Herb Block Foundation, The Jay Pritzker Foundation, Quad, Blick Art Materials, the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, the National Endowment for the Arts, The New York Times, DHIFI, Inc., RBC Foundation USA, Morgan Stanley, Change CX, Lindenmeyr Book Publishing Papers, Garcia Family Foundation, and numerous other individual, foundation, and corporate funders; and, for the National Student Poets Program, the Institute of Museum and Library Services, The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, The Hearthland Foundation, the Poetry Foundation, and Academy of American Poets. 
 
For more information about the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers, visit artandwriting.org. Additional details about the Awards can be found in the Scholastic media room: http://mediaroom.scholastic.com/artandwriting

Exhibition Dates: January 24 - March 25, 2024

Location: Asheville Art Museum's Van Winkle Law Firm Gallery and Multipurpose Space

Visit the Museum’s website for more information about the student exhibition.

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