Student Artist Scholastic Art Awards

Student artists are being celebrated at the Fine Arts Center for the New River Valley with an exhibition of the winners from the 101st annual Scholastic Art Awards. More than 400 entries were received from student artists in grades 7-12 across a geographic range of 23 counties and independent towns and cities in Southwest Virginia. Art by students who win a Gold Key at the regional level moves to the national level to compete for awards, a chance to participate in national exhibits, and up to $13,000 in scholarships.

For the second year in a row, the Fine Arts Center is sponsoring scholarships for students at the regional level. Five high school students whose work was judged to be the top across all categories are designated as American Visions Nominees and receive a $250 scholarship. In addition, a $250 scholarship is awarded to the Outstanding Middle School entry. Those students are listed below.

• Eesha Sethumadhavan, Grade 7, Cave Spring Middle School, Roanoke; Jima Bousquet, teacher; Outstanding Middle School Entry for Painting: “under water with my orange goggles”

• Avery Remines, grade 11, Burton Center for Arts & Tech, Salem; Pamela Rose, teacher; American Visions Nominee for Digital Art: “Clumber”

• Wren McCormick, grade 12, Patrick Henry High School, Roanoke; Jennifer Fowler, teacher; American Visions Nominee for Drawing & Illustration: “Little me”

• Mary Wissinger, grade 10, Burton Center for Arts & Tech, Salem; Pamela Rose, teacher; American Visions Nominee for Drawing & Illustration: “An Uncertain Future”

• Reanna Sawyer, grade 11, Burton Center for Arts & Tech, Salem, Natalie Strum, teacher; American Visions Nominee for Painting: “$5.99”

• Bri Spencer, grade 10, Burton Center for Arts & Tech,Salem; Pamela Rose, teacher; American Visions Nominee for Painting: “Morning Glory”

These works and most of the winning entries can be observed in person at the Edna B. Love Gallery at the Fine Arts Center at 21 West Main Street in downtown Pulaski until Saturday, February 24. A reception will be held on February 24 at the Center at noon. Awards will be presented to students across the street at the Pulaski Theatre at 2 p.m after a short presentation by Will Sawyer from the Radford University Department of Art. The winning artwork can also be viewed in an online gallery at FACNRV.org/scholastic.

The Scholastic Art Awards sponsored by the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers, is the nation’s longest-running and most prestigious recognition program for teens in the arts. 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 including Andy Warhol, Ken Burns, Lena Dunham, Jacob Landau, Richard Avedon, Zac Posen, and Tschabalala Self, all of whom received recognition in the Awards when they were teens.

The Fine Arts Center of the New River Valley has been the official affiliate of the Scholastic Art Awards for Southwest Virginia for nearly twenty years. For more information about the Fine Arts Center, please visit our website at FACNRV.org.

More information about the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers and the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards can be found by visiting the Scholastic News Room at www.artandwriting.org.