BRATTLEBORO — Eight Vermont youths have been selected as 2022 National Award recipients in the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, with four winning gold medals and four receiving silver medals.
The Brattleboro Museum & Art Center (BMAC) is the Vermont affiliate for the annual awards program. Willa Sheehan of The Putney School is the winner of the American Visions Medal for art, and Madison Wilson of St. Johnsbury Academy is the winner of the American Voices Medal for writing.
Works were judged on originality, technical skill, and the emergence of personal vision or voice. Teachers of national winners were also recognized with awards.
Additional National Award medal winners are: Cormac Abbey, Mount Mansfield Union High School (silver medal); Samantha Aikman, Mount Mansfield Union High School (gold medal); Cameron Allembert, Brattleboro Union High School (silver medal); Anneke Beth, St. Johnsbury Academy (gold medal); Nancy McNichols, Burlington High School (silver medal); and Maria Sell, Woodstock Union High School (silver medal).
The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards is a prestigious national recognition program for aspiring visual artists and writers. Each year, students in grades 7–12 are invited to submit art and writing in dozens of categories. Since its founding in 1923, the program has nurtured the talents of many creative visionaries. Past winners include Truman Capote, Lena Dunham, Stephen King, Sylvia Plath, John Updike, and Andy Warhol.
BMAC has administered the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards for Vermont since 2011. According to BMAC manager of education & community engagement programs Kirsten Martsi, participation in the program has grown steadily since its inception. For this year's awards, 160 Vermont students submitted 521 works of art and writing.