Alliance for Young Artists & Writers: Information from Answers.com

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The Alliance for Young Artists & Writers is a nonprofit organization formed in 1994, to support aspiring young artists and writers by administering the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. The mission of the Alliance is to identify, motivate, and validate the next generation of artists and writers. The Alliance also works with several key partners to increase access to scholarships, creative enrichment, and professional development. ^[1]

1 The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards
2 Selection Panels of The Awards
3 The National Celebration Events
4 Visual Arts Categories
5 Writing Categories
6 Partnerships with the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers
7 Ovation TV
8 Young Artists Program
9 Other Partnerships
10 Notable alumni
11 References
12 External links

The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards

The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards are the oldest, longest-running, most prestigious recognition program for creative teenagers in the United States. In 2009, more than 77,000 students in grades 7 – 12 participated nation-wide. Founded in 1923 by Maurice R. Robinson, The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, administered by the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers, to date have:

Encouraged more than 13 million students
Recognized more than 9 million young artists and writers
Distributed more than $25 million in awards and scholarships.

The Awards continue to be the largest source of scholarship funding for teenage artists and writers and the longest-running, most prestigious art and writing awards program in the U.S. The purpose of the program is to provide students the opportunity to gain early recognition and support for their creative work. The Awards are open to students in 7th through 12th grades from public, private and parochial schools throughout the U.S. (and its territories), as well as American-run schools abroad and community programs also serving eligible student populations. In 2009, over 140,000 creative works were submitted to the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards by students in grades 7 – 12 from across the United States.

Process The program is structured to identify and recognize students through regional award designations (including Gold Key, Silver Key and Honorable Mention) and then national designations (Gold Award, Silver Award). The regional awards are administered by a network of almost 100 affiliates nationwide, ,including school systems, school boards, nonprofit organizations, museums, government agencies, foundations, arts agencies, businesses, libraries, teacher councils and institutions of higher education that share a commitment to identifying emerging artists and writers in their communities.

Every year, the process begins on October 1st as young artists and writers submit more than 140,000 creative works to the affiliate in their region. The most outstanding works of art and writing (Gold Key and Silver Key winners) from each region are forwarded to the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers in New York City to be reviewed on a national level. Panels of professional jurors review approximately 8,000 works of art and 2,000 manuscripts to select the 1,000 national award recipients. 12 Portfolio Gold Award students receive national recognition and $10,000 cash awards, representing the highest level of achievement for graduating seniors. Approximately 150 Portfolio Silver Award students receive national recognition annually. Portfolio Gold and Silver Award recipients become eligible for school-specific, tuition scholarships at more than 50 colleges. Based on the recognition bestowed by The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, these colleges collaborate with the Alliance to make an additional $3.9 million in financial aid available annually.

The Scholastic Art Awards are also recognized by the Association of Independent Colleges of Art and Design (a consortium of leading art and design colleges in the U.S.) as an effective way for artistic students to develop successful portfolios for college admission.

Selection Panels of The Awards

The selection panels for both regional and national levels of The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards are composed of artists, writers, curators, critics, educators and professionals from the nation’s leading creative industries, some of whom are past award recipients. Notable past jurors include: Robert Frost, William Saroyan, Frank McCourt, Kiki Smith, George Plimpton, Korva Coleman, Esmeralda Santiago, Tatiana von Furstenberg, Bill Murray, Judy Blume, Faith Ringgold, and Billy Collins. Panelists look for works that best exemplify originality, technical skill and the emergence of a personal voice and vision.

The National Celebration Events

The Alliance’s recognition of outstanding young artists and writers culminates in a year-end national program event in New York City where they meet their creative peers, view and read the work of other exceptional teens from across the nation, and are introduced to professionals in New York City’s creative industries at the National Celebration Events. The Alliance invites all the national award winners to attend the national events.

The National Art Exhibition, features selections from the Portfolio Gold Awards in Art, Photography and Writing. The exhibition provides an important creative outlet for showcasing the artistic vision of teenagers with exceptional potential in a collection of essays, poems, stories, paintings, drawings, sculpture, mixed media, ceramics, photography and design.

Creative Industries Workshops are developed with special attention to providing a mix of artistic mediums and literary genres. In 2009, the Alliance hosted workshops in venues throughout New York City that introduced students to playwrights, artists, editors, writers, photographers, and other creative professionals. Workshops covered topics such as using art to create social change in partnership with the Action Center to End World Hunger, film production, finalizing an art portfolio,“The Art of Revision,” with novelist Rick Moody (The Ice Storm, Garden State), the potential of computer games to address social issues, and interactive visits to magazines such as The New Yorker, Rolling Stone, and People Magazine. Student also had the opportunity to engage in several hands-on workshops, including visits to the studios of professional artists such as Philip Pearlstein and Tom Otterness, an eating and walking tour with culinary journalist Roger Mummert, and a fantasy and science fiction writing seminar. Teachers also participated, and had the option of attending specialized workshops and discussions such as Tips for Writing Teachers.

Partnerships with the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers

Ovation TV

The Alliance recently partnered with Ovation TV, a multi-platform network devoted to the arts and featuring program on visual arts, theater, opera, music, and dance. In April 2008, the Alliance participated in Ovation TV’s broadcast campaign, “Every Big Artist Starts Small.” Ovation TV sent a camera crew to interview twelve New York City Gold Key Winners at Radiant Minds, a local exhibition and awards ceremony at the Brooklyn Museum. Three PSAs highlighting Award-winning students and their work were produced, and are available online on the Alliance’s Youtube channel, Scholastic Gold Key.

Young Artists Program

The Young Artists Program (YAP) of The Alliance for Young Artists & Writers is funded through a leadership grant from the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation. The program aims to sustain and raise the level of achievement of low-income students who receive Gold Keys in The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. YAP identifies and encourages low-income, high achieving students in grades 7-11 to take their work to the next level by providing them with tools, resources, and additional opportunities to help them think critically about their work.

The Young Artists Program includes several components: Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist Awards: In 2009, the Alliance granted scholarships (up to $2,500 per student) to allow 46 low-income, high achieving teens to attend summer art and writing intensives. Awards are given to Gold Key recipients who demonstrate the following criteria:

Goals in the arts, including clear statement of what art forms they wish to study, programs they are investigating, and overall career interests.
Parental support for young artists or writers in creative studies and career paths.
High quality of artwork or writing.
Demonstrated financial need: young artists and writers who would not otherwise be able to afford such an intensive experience.

Spark Publication and Web Site: Every year the Alliance showcases the work of 7th and 8th grade national award recipients in Spark, a web and print publication, to inspire eligible younger participants to develop their own creative talent.

Summer Provider Network: The Alliance has developed a network of recommended workshops, classes, and camps throughout the country to help talented teenagers (including the Interlochen Summer Arts Camp, The Putney School, Parsons Pre-College, School of Visual Arts, UVA Young Writers Workshop, Kenyon Young Writers Workshop, Columbia University Pre-College, and NYU Pre-College).

Other Partnerships

The Alliance's Regional Affiliate network ranges from public and private schools, to community-based organizations, to newspapers, museums and libraries, including partnerships with the National Writing Project and state chapters of the National Art Education Association. The Alliance also work with service organizations like the Boys & Girls Club of America, Afterschool Alliance, VSA Arts, Council of Fashion Designers of America, and the Office of Indian Education to reach as many eligible students as possible.

Notable alumni

^[2]

References

External links

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Alliance for Young Artists & Writers

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