Written by: Rosie Herrington and Juliana Rodriguez

This quarter, some of our peers here at Crosstown High received recognition in the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards. Each year, students from all over the United States explore and express their creativity, having thousands of pieces evaluated for awards and showcases. Winning pieces are selected based on their originality, display of skill, and emergence of a personal vision or voice within the piece. The winning artists get awarded with Gold Key, Silver Key, and Honorable mention, as well as scholarships following more prestigious award consideration. This year, students from Crosstown High got recognized at all levels.

Here is a quick breakdown of our student winners…

The following students received an Honorable Mention:

Khennedi Taylor, Camille Morries, Rosie Herrington, Sophia Harvey. 

The Silver Key Winners included: 

Panther Watson, Aza Palazola, Oliver Morse. 

Last but definitely not least, the Crosstown High Gold Key Winners were: 

Opal Hodges, Emmett Carlson, Sophia Harvey, Kaniyah McCray, Reagan Orsland. Aza Palazola and Lucas ward.

Notably, Hart Schepman won two Gold Keys and 2nd place in the senior division.

Emmett Carlson and Sophia Harvey, two of our Gold Key winners, both enter triptych photography as their winning piece. Emmett explained of his triptych,”It allowed me to experiment and express my imagination with photo exposure and black and white [photography].” Sophia elaborated that what she likes about art is,”the creativity aspect and how creative you can be with pictures.” Over 250,000 submissions are considered by Scholastic judges every year, only a portion of them receiving recognition, and an even smaller group being awarded gold keys. Emmett Carlson and Sophia Harvey described their win as a pleasant surprise and expressed their gratitude, both feeling excited that their artwork would be on display in the Brooks Museum. 

The Scholastic Arts and Writing Awards are set to announce their National Awards for 2023 on March 22nd. Recipients of nationally ranked awards are considered for scholarships of up to $10,000; offering a great opportunity for young artists all over the country. 

Want to get a glimpse of the student artwork? We grabbed pictures of a few pieces, but you can also go explore them in person at the Brooks Museum while the exhibit remains open. 

Crosstown Aza Palazola, Grade 12 Gold Key- Drawing & Illustration