Heartwood Welcomes 2009 Scholastic Award Winners
Read an article on the 2009 Maine Scholastic Art Awards, written by Bob Keyes, published in the Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram on February 1, 2009.February 9, 2009 - On Saturday February 7th, Heartwood College of Art welcomed high school artists from across the state of Maine to the 2009 Scholastic Art Awards show and awards ceremony.
The Scholastic Art Awards are in their 85th year of conducting a visual awards program for middle and high school students in the United States. All 50 states are invited to participate in this program, the most respected and prestigious of its kind in our country. The Alliance for Young Artists & Writers was formed in 1994 to build a network of support for aspiring young American artists and writers through the distinguished Scholastic Art & Writing Awards.
The Awards have encouraged more than 12 million students, recognized more than two million young artists and writers, and distributed more than $20 million in awards and scholarships. Local and National Exhibitions and annual catalogs serve as a record of student achievement since the late 1920's, documenting early work from some of our nation's most accomplished artists and writers including Richard Avedon, Truman Capote, Sylvia Plath, Robert Redford, Andy Warhol and Robert Indiana.
The Scholastic Art Awards aim to encourage student achievement, to recognize and celebrate Fine Art teachers, and to emphasize the importance of the visual arts in our private and public schools. For the first time, Heartwood College of Art is hosting the Scholastic Art Awards for the Great State of Maine. The College is fortunate to have received a grant from the Betterment Fund, whose support allowed young artists in Maine to participate in this year's Scholastic competition.
Throughout the country, about 150,000 entries are received each year on a regional level. Approximately 15,000 of these are designated as Gold Key Finalists. The national exhibition in New York will include nearly 400 winning pieces. Many of these students will be offered college scholarships and the opportunity to continue their work. This might never have been available, were it not for the Scholastic Art Awards program.
In the 2009 Maine Regional Awards program, 443 pieces were submitted by 221 students, who were encouraged by 41 teachers in 48 schools across the state. Five pieces were selected for American Vision Awards (Best of Show), 27 for Gold Key Awards, 17 for Silver Key Awards, and 23 for Honorable Mention. In the Portfolio category, two Gold Keys, two Silver Keys, and one Honorable Mention were awarded. The judging panel was comprised of Heartwood's most outstanding instructors (click here to read more about the jury procedure).
The recipients were recognized at the Awards Ceremony held at the Coastal House in Wells, Maine on February 7th. Families, teachers and principals of these students joined in honoring the award winners. All American Vision, Gold Key and Silver Key finalists are exhibited at Heartwood College of Art through February 13. American Vision and Gold Key artwork is submitted to be juried on a national level. Winners in that competition are exhibited in New York in June 2009.