Roberson Middle School student Jayda Davis holds her artwork, “The Future of My Brushstroke.” Davis is the winner of a Regional Gold Key and National Silver Medal in the 2018 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards competition.
Westfield High School student Fernanda Herrera, from left, stands with art teacher Samara Gilliam and fellow Westfield student Oralia Cantu after the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards regional ceremony. Herrera and Cantu were both Regional Silver Key winners in this year’s competition.
HOUSTON – April 9, 2018 – Since 1923, the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards have challenged and encouraged young writers and visual artists from across the country to push themselves and their work to the next level. For five current Spring ISD students, their 2018 submissions led to regional success and – in one case – national recognition in the annual contest.
For Jayda Davis of Roberson Middle School, the Gold Key she won in the regional event – overseen by the Harris County Department of Education and sponsored in part by Texas Art Supply – earned her a spot in the national-level competition, where Davis’ piece, “The Future of My Brushstroke,” was ultimately selected for a Silver Medal. Of the more than 330,000 total entries this year, only about 2,800 went on to place at the national level, putting Davis in the top one percent of all entrants nationwide.
“We’re very proud of all our Spring ISD visual arts students who took part in this year’s Scholastic Art & Writing Awards program,” said Director of Performing and Visual Arts Dr. Joe Clark. “This is an event with a long history of recognizing and encouraging young talent, and it’s a great opportunity for our students to have their work seen and adjudicated at a high level. Congratulations to all of them, and also to their dedicated teachers.”
Each year, hundreds of thousands of students in grades 7-12 participate in the annual competition for a chance at having their work recognized, for access to scholarship awards, and the opportunity to count themselves among a long list of former winners, including Andy Warhol, Sylvia Plath, Truman Capote, Stephen King, Robert Redford, Luis Jiménez and Joyce Carol Oates, among others.
“The students being recognized today join a legacy of teens facilitating important dialogue through their art and writing,” said Virginia McEnerney, executive director of the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers, in announcing this year’s national award winners. “We celebrate these innovative teens as members of the next generation of great American artists and writers.”
The annual Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, presented by the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers, recognize students for their work in the visual and literary arts across 29 different categories, including journalism, digital art, drawing and illustration, poetry, graphic design, fashion, science fiction, video game design and more. Winners at the regional level have their work shown through local area exhibits, including exhibits this year at Texas Art Supply locations and The Galleria shopping center.
Spring ISD 2018 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards:
Student: Oralia Cantu
Campus: Westfield High School
Teacher: Samara Gilliam
Regional Contest: Silver Key
Student: Fernanda Herrera
Campus: Westfield High School
Teacher: Samara Gilliam
Regional Contest: Silver Key
Student: Adriana Silva
Campus: Spring Early College Academy
Teacher: Valerie Hassel
Regional Contest: Honorable Mention
Student: Lily Taner
Campus: Spring Early College Academy
Teacher: Valerie Hassel
Regional Contest: Honorable Mention
Student: Jayda Davis
Campus: Roberson Middle School
Teacher: Samantha Lacey
Regional Contest: Gold Key
National Contest: Silver Medal