Original art and writing by 2018 Gold Key Winners on Display in The Met’s Ruth and Harold D. Uris Center for Education
The nonprofit Alliance for Young Artists & Writers and The Metropolitan Museum of Art have announced the opening of the fourth annual New York City Scholastic Art & Writing Awards exhibition at The Met’s Ruth and Harold D. Uris Center for Education. This special exhibition is free and open to the public during regular Museum hours from March 23 through May 29, 2018. There will be an opening evening event for students, family members, and educators on Friday, March 23, from 6 to 8 p.m. with remarks by Virginia McEnerney, Executive Director, Alliance for Young Artists & Writers; and William Crow, Educator in Charge for Teaching and Learning, The Metropolitan Museum of Art. This reception is also open to the public.
The exhibition features more than 600 original works of art and writing from New York City–based Gold Key recipients in the 2018 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, the country's longest-running and most prestigious award and recognition program for creative teens. This year, students from all five boroughs in grades 7 through 12 submitted almost 13,000 works in 29 categories to the New York City regional program of the Awards, representing more than 300 schools.
“This is the fourth year that The Met has hosted this exhibition, and each year we marvel at the extraordinary talents of our City’s youth. Their discipline, creativity, and skills demonstrates the impact of art education on young people,” said Sandra Jackson-Dumont, the Museum’s Frederick P. and Sandra P. Rose Chairman of Education. “This is an exhibition that truly encourages originality and ingenuity. It also celebrates the inspiration found within this Museum.”
All works were blindly adjudicated by accomplished creative and literary professionals based on originality, technical skill, and the emergence of a personal vision or voice. The pieces on display at The Met received top regional awards and are eligible to receive national honors through a second round of judging, which can open further opportunities for exhibition and publication, as well as access to scholarships. The awards have honored distinguished artists since 1923, including Andy Warhol, Cy Twombly, Kay WalkingStick, John Baldessari, Luis Jiménez, and Catherine Murphy, whose works are in The Met collection.
“We are elated to showcase the immense artistic and literary talents of our hometown teens at The Metropolitan Museum of Art for the fourth year in a row,” said Virginia McEnerney, Executive Director of the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers. “It’s a landmark moment for New York City teens to have their art and writing on display at this globally renown institution—it validates them as true artists, poets, writers, and innovators. We celebrate the breadth and diversity of talent and topics in this year’s exhibition at The Met.”
The Alliance partners with Parsons School of Design at The New School and Eugene Lang College The New School for Liberal Arts to present the regional New York City Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, with additional program support provided by Pratt Institute. The 2018 New York City Scholastic Art & Writing Awards Exhibition at The Met is presented with generous support from The New York Times, the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, The Maurice R. Robinson Fund, and Scholastic Inc.
To learn more about the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, visit the Scholastic Media Room online at mediaroom.scholastic.com/artandwriting.
About the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers
The Alliance for Young Artists & Writers, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, identifies teenagers with exceptional creative talent and brings their remarkable work to a national audience through the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. Founded in 1923, the Awards program is the longest-running, most prestigious initiative of its kind, having fostered the creativity and talent of millions of students through recognition, exhibition, publication, and scholarships. artandwriting.org
About The Met
The Met presents over 5,000 years of art from around the world for everyone to experience and enjoy. The Museum lives in three iconic sites in New York City—The Met Fifth Avenue, The Met Breuer, and The Met Cloisters. Millions of people also take part in The Met experience online.
Since it was founded in 1870, The Met has always aspired to be more than a treasury of rare and beautiful objects. Every day, art comes alive in the Museum’s galleries and through its exhibitions and events, revealing both new ideas and unexpected connections across time and across cultures.
Through its website and social media accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, The Met expands its visitor experience to people all over the world. For additional information about the Museum, visit www.metmuseum.org.
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March 15, 2018
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