North Dakota teens have received national awards and scholarships for their original art and writing from the Alliance for Young Artists and Writers.
The national winners of the 2019 Scholastic Art and Writing Awards were announced March 13. The program is the nation's longest-running and most prestigious recognition program for creative teens in grades 7-12.
Ten national medals were awarded to six students from North Dakota. In order to be considered for a national medal, students first had to earn a gold key at the state level.
North Dakota students who were recognized include:
• Megan Ausk, a senior at Kindred, North Dakota, High School, won a gold medal in the category of personal essay/memoir for “Transcending Societal Norms” (educator, Tanya Neumiller).
• Jakob Bloomquist, a senior at Maple Valley High School in Tower City, North Dakota, won a silver medal in photography for “The Outsiders” (educator, Julie Kaspari).
• Olivia Drake, a 9th grader at Davies High School in Fargo, won a gold medal for her short story “I Dream of Nightingales” (educator, Lindsay Seelig). She also won the American Voices Medal for all of North Dakota.
• Annelise Klein, an 8th grader from Horizon Middle School in Bismarck, North Dakota, won a silver medal in personal essay/memoir for “Diabetes” (educator, David St. Peter).
• Olivia Propeck, a junior from Fargo’s Davies High School, won a gold medal in photography for “Jamaica 2018 (2)”, a silver medal in photography for “Issa,” a Best in Grade Award and the American Visions Medal for all of North Dakota (educator, Jazmyne Reinke).
• Deanna Rose, an 11th grader from Grand Forks, North Dakota, who is home schooled, won a silver medal in painting for “Strange Confection.”
All teachers of the award-winning students were recognized with a Scholastic Educator Pin during the state ceremony March 9 at Plains Art Museum in Fargo.
For the first time this year, NDSU awarded scholarships to the top seniors in art and writing. Jamee Larson, a creative writing lecturer at NDSU, presented a $600 scholarship to Peyton Blotsky to attend NDSU and study English. Andrew Stark, NDSU assistant professor of practice, presented two $1,500 Falck Scholar Artist Awards from NDSU’s Department of Visual Arts – one to Bloomquist for his photograph “The Outsiders” and one to Rose for her drawing “Hand.”
More than 300,000 works of art and writing were submitted for adjudication at the regional level in the award program’s 28 categories, which include poetry, painting, architecture, short story, fashion design and others. All national award-winning high school seniors gain access to a special scholarship pool of more than $10 million through Alliance partnerships with colleges and universities across the U.S.
“The Scholastic Art and Writing Awards reflect the diverse landscape of today’s young creative thinkers,” said Virginia McEnerney, executive director of the Alliance for Young Artists and Writers, the administrator of the Scholastic Awards. “Year after year we see more of the nation’s most talented and innovative teens emerge from different parts of the country, and it is our privilege to provide them with a platform to share and amplify their unique voices with a national audience.”
All art and writing submissions are judged based on the program’s three criteria: originality, technical skill and emergence of personal vision or voice.
Student works are first adjudicated regionally through the more than 100 local Affiliates of the Alliance. Regional judging was performed by the North Dakota affiliate of the Alliance for Young Artists and Writers, a partnership between the Red River Valley Writing Project at NDSU and Plains Art Museum, Fargo. Kelly Sassi, RRVWP director and NDSU associate professor of English education, and Netha Cloeter, director of education and social engagement at Plains Art Museum, led the state affiliate work.
Gold Key-winning works are then judged nationally by a panel of industry experts to receive Gold, Silver, American Visions and Voices, Portfolio Silver with Distinction or Portfolio Gold Medals.
In June, national award-winning teens from across the country will gather in New York City to attend celebration events in their honor, hosted by the Alliance.
For more information, contact Sassi at kelly.sassi@ndsu.edu or 701-318-2452.
