BRATTLEBORO — The Brattleboro Museum & Art Center is accepting submissions for the 2018 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, a prestigious national recognition initiative for teenagers with exceptional artistic and literary talent.
Vermont students in grades 7-12 are invited to submit art and writing entries in dozens of categories, including ceramics, digital art, painting, photography, poetry, humor, science fiction, personal essay/memoir, and more, according to a news release.
The submission deadline is Dec. 14, 2017. Students and teachers seeking guidelines or additional information are encouraged to visit www.brattleboromuseum.org or to contact Sarah Freeman at 802-257-0124, ext. 102, or sarah@brattleboromuseum.org.
Since its founding in 1923, the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards have nurtured the talents and helped launch the careers of many creative visionaries. Past winners include Truman Capote, Lena Dunham, Stephen King, Sylvia Plath, John Updike, and Andy Warhol, among others.
In 2014, Edil Hassan, a high school senior from Burlington, joined that rarefied group, when she was selected as one of only 16 recipients nationwide of the Awards' highest honor, a Portfolio Gold Medal and $10,000 college scholarship.
Vermont students may submit original works in any of the Awards' art and writing categories. All works are evaluated based on originality, technical skill, and the emergence of a personal vision or voice - first regionally through BMAC and then nationally by a panel of esteemed artists and writers.
Nikki Giovanni, Red Grooms, Paul Giamatti, Faith Ringgold, Wangechi Mutu, David Sedaris, and Andres Serrano are among those who have served as past jurors. Vermont winners will be announced by the end of January, and a selection of award-winning work will be exhibited at BMAC for three weeks beginning Feb. 17, culminating in an awards ceremony on Saturday, March 10, at noon.
National award winners will be announced by the end of March.