The Scholastic Art and Writing Awards are a competition program in which students in grades 7-12 may submit work to numerous creative categories. The Scholastic Awards are the nation’s “longest-running, most prestigious” award for young artists and writers, offering nation-wide recognition, scholarships, and cash prizes, according to the Scholastic website.
Unlike the fast-paced, in-person STEM competitions many Lakesiders participate in, the program is open for entries between October 1st and December 2nd, letting artists and authors refine and complete their best works. Entries are judged on three core values: originality, skill, and the emergence of personal voice or vision.
In between school days, homework, sports, and extracurriculars, Lakesiders spent long hours drafting their pieces, searching for the perfect photo opportunity, and toiling in art studies.
“Digital [art] isn’t very fun for me, and acrylic takes too much time, but I feel like charcoal takes a reasonable amount of time, and I enjoy it a lot,” says Elina L. ’29, as she recalls days of heading to the studio on Saturdays to paint her favorite subjects: people, places, and objects with which she has a personal connection.
“Many of my pieces are of friends and family,” she says. “I take photos of my inspirations, then sketch it out first in a grid, and start with the darkest value.” For this year’s competition, Elina endeavors to “learn how to be more adaptable and flexible. So like being more open to trying different mediums, not just charcoal.”
For Adi D. ’27, photography is a more natural fit. His process is methodical and thoughtful. For inspiration, he scours photography accounts on social media, looking for processes and methods that catch his eye. “Pictures with cool exposure, and different angles, and lenses that I want to try,” he said. “I try to emulate — not copy them, but make something similar.”
Then, once he finds a subject, he takes pictures of every angle, meticulously sorting through them to find his favorites. “Last year, I went through my photo album and found the ones that I thought were my best — maybe 25 pictures, I ended up selecting.” This year, he plans to enter one of his favorites: a picture of the Northern Lights, from when they appeared overhead in May. “I edited those a little bit to make the colors pop, and I’m just really proud of them.”
On the literary side of the competition, Matthew K. ’28 is re-submitting a work he previously worked on last year, by revising it and finishing a complete document. “I generally like to write a lot,” Matthew wrote. “It’s the most direct way of expressing my thoughts, my feelings, my sentiments. I really enjoy making my voice heard and sharing it with other people.”
Notebook in hand, and poised for inspiration to strike, Matthew rides the light rail and treks through the subway in search of inspiration. “I write down any moments that feel very loud to me…conversations and observations.” Then, he works to seamlessly combine these experiences with events and ideas of his own.
This year, Matthew is looking to develop use of symbolism and argument. He’s also looking forward to seeing critiques of his work: “I hope to learn something new about my writing based on how far I go this year,” he wrote. “Practice makes perfect!”
Through charcoal, lens, and pen, Lakesiders like Elina, Adi, and Matthew push themselves to refine their artistic vision, experiment with new styles and processes, and perfect their technique. While each participant may strive to attain a coveted gold key, the Scholastic Arts and Writing awards is an opportunity beyond a simple prize: it’s an opportunity for growth, for recognition, for artists to challenge themselves and take risks, and most of all, to share their stories—visual and literary—with the community.
