The Alliance for Young Artists & Writers

ASK A WRITER: Is there a Secret Dating Handbook for Writers?

2010-11-15T10:44:00.000-05:00

ArcaMIDI Synthesizer. Alex Hatch, Senior. 2010 Gold Medal, Design.

JOSH ASKED: First of all, I’m a pretty great writer. But girls like guys who can play basketball and lift weights. Is there a secret dating handbook for writers?

NED SAID: Josh, the whims of women are complicated and alas, there is no "secret dating handbook" for writers. If you're a great writer and you still find it difficult to meet women, join a rock band. It's very easy to learn (especially bass guitar). Girls love the gusto and immediacy of musicians; with the music/writing double-whammy you shouldn't have any problems. If the rock band thing doesn't work, I'm going to have to recommend that you form a hip-hop crew.
If you have questions about the writing world, just ask! E-mail us at askned@artandwriting.org.

REGIONAL STORY: Joan Dooley Uses Photography to Inspire Students in L.A.

2010-11-11T12:11:00.002-05:00

Photo caption: Although my photographs sometimes seem to be posed, they hardly ever are. Whether I’m surreptitiously photographing on the street or I’ve established a rapport with my subject, it’s fundamental for me that images be authentic and true to life.

Joan Dooley is a teacher at Los Angeles High School No. 9, an inner-city public school that focuses on visual and performing arts. Before finding her way into teaching, she spent over 12 years as a professional curator with the Getty Museum. When she’s not teaching, she practices her own photography and has won recognition from National Geographic and Women in Photography International. According to Joan, her style is best described as "decisive moment meets Jan Vermeer."

I’ve been teaching full-time for 14 years. I teach Photography and more recently, Stop-motion Animation.

The most rewarding thing about teaching has to be the magic moment when I witness a “student breakthrough.” Those breakthroughs can be huge, like when a student discovers (sometimes for the first time in their lives) that they have a talent for expressing themselves in a unique way. Or it can be small, within the context of a particular lesson. These breakthroughs are what art teachers live for.

Personally, I love to enter contests, especially those with judges I admire and respect, and each win helps to validate my direction and encourage future work. So before my students submit work to the Scholastic Art Awards, we have several review lessons to determine the best work and portfolio development. We also study and analyze the work of previous Scholastic Award winners through group discussions and written responses. The work of Award-winning young artists is incredibly inspirational and raises the bar of achievement not only for my students but also for myself. The program has had a great impact on many levels: I’ve watched students’ artwork break through to new heights. Several of my students were awarded summer scholarships to attend renowned summer art schools through the Alliance’s Young Artist Awards program. These opportunities are transformational in the lives of my students and open up new pathways in the arts for them.

I attribute any success I’ve achieved to feeling passionate about what I do and to caring for the success of my students, both as young artists and citizens of the world. But teaching also has its challenges. Teaching a lab and equipment-based curriculum requires expensive materials, and it can be a struggle to fund and maintain that equipment in a large public high school. My classes are also very big – I typically teach about 240 students in six classes. It’s important to enlist the help of your students whenever possible when managing supplies and equipment. You definitely need to learn to manage behavior in the art room, but time spent in that area has great payoffs; you’ll be surprised when your worst behaved student becomes your best artist and even friend for life.

My best advice to other teachers is: Don’t lose your passion. Make sure you keep practicing your art. Don’t let all the relatively minor annoyances (paperwork, red tape, administrative snafus, order forms) dampen your spirits. Stay focused on the “prize” – your students – and on helping them find their voice in art.

ARCHIVE PICK OF THE MONTH: BARBARA HOLLAND: In Defense of Naps

2010-11-09T12:26:00.002-05:00

Noted humor writer Barbara Holland died of lung cancer this past September. But we found Ms. Holland in our archives, protecting the hunted and reminiscing about her childhood in her poetry. As a junior and senior at Woodrow Wilson High School in 1949 and 1950, her poems won top honors from the Scholastic Writing Awards.

Barbara Holland had six half-brothers and sisters in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, but lived with relatives to attend high school in Washington, D.C. According to her high school bio, her chief interests were “convertibles,” and writing poems on the backs of envelopes – “usually with lipstick.” She confessed that passing P.E. might pose a challenge during her last year of school, but she hoped her future plans involved writing.

Shortly after graduation, Barbara Holland took a job at department store and eventually moved to Philadelphia to work as an advertising copywriter. She began to publish small articles and stories in magazines such as McCall’s, Seventeen, and Ladies’ Home Journal. She would go on to publish over a dozen books including her best-selling memoir When All the World Was Young (2005), several children’s books, a biography of Katharine Hepburn and a history of dueling.

But if Holland’s love of writing followed her into adulthood, so did her dislike of gym class, which may have even inspired works such as Endangered Pleasures: In Defense of Naps, Bacon, Martinis, Profanity, and Other Indulgences (2005) and The Joy of Drinking (2007). In a recent interview with The Washington Post, she confessed she hoped that people would buy Endangered Pleasures for their mothers as Mother’s Day gifts. She added: "Writing is the only thing I was ever able to do, actually. I wrote my first novel when I was 5. I had to dictate it because I couldn't print all those words.”

Meet Monica Johnson, Manager, Exhibitions… and so much more!

2010-11-08T14:36:00.001-05:00

Primary role: Monica Johnson oversees a massive art storage space adjoining our headquarters in New York City. She carefully receives, registers and catalogues every national award-winning work of art that comes through our doors. She’s also responsible for the design and installation of our New York City exhibitions and for shipping artwork to various destinations—an art unto itself!

Secret facts: Monica has her own power tools. She can also make kombucha and twirl a baton.

Monica: Before coming to the Alliance, I studied painting in San Francisco and enjoyed a short and moderately successful career as a gallery artist.
But I was always in search of a more robust career in the arts. For me, the gallery was just one outlet for visual communication, so I set out to develop a greater visual skill-set at Hunter College in New York City in the Integrated Media Arts program.

As a graduate student, I’m currently using various web-based languages and technologies to develop my visual skills. For me, the dynamic and instantaneous possibilities that web communication offers balances and enhances the otherwise static nature of the gallery exhibition.

As Manager of Exhibitions at the Alliance, I draw on my experience with installation and woodworking to design and create exhibitions. I learned solid woodworking skills and museum practices in undergrad, but developed considerably by working for many years as a museum preparator and fine arts framer. I take these skills outside the workplace and into my own art-making as well – I design and create large-scale installations and do contract work on really cool projects like David Byrne’s Playing the Building. Not to mention I can also make my own furniture!

My artistic roots rely on things created with my own two hands. Oftentimes, after working many long hours at the computer, I crave the immediacy of creating with my hands. When I get this urge, I usually reach for wool and fabric. I knit and sew hats, clothes, bags and other objects and sell them under the brand name Wool + Brick at local flea markets and on etsy.com. Photographing the items and writing their descriptions adds another dimension to this creative process.

Over time, my visual and technical abilities have developed into a multi-layered career in the arts. In the process, I’ve also created a diverse skill-set that ensures I’ll always find work doing something I enjoy. I remain connected to my gallery roots in that I still draw a lot, but now it’s something I do for myself without the strains of production and presentation.

Advice to Artists: Learn to write well, or at least clearly. Learn to manage your finances as early as you can. Although these skills will serve anyone in any career, they are particularly important in an arts career because they are typically overlooked in arts education. Oftentimes, working in the arts you are your own little company with your own PR and accounting departments and you have to know how to run those departments successfully all by yourself. Also, most importantly, always use the right tool for the job. And, if you don’t have the right tool, make it.

MEET OUR WINNERS: Joshua Krieble, Landscapes within Landscapes

2010-11-08T14:12:00.004-05:00

If he could describe his art in a single word, he would say: "Grape." If he could have a superpower, he would want to be like a hydra so that he could have two heads and sing while simultaneously playing the melodica. Meet our guest blogger and Brooklyn native Joshua Krieble, a young filmmaker whose Landscapes within Landscapes won a 2010 National Gold Medal. In addition to film, Joshua also won a Gold Medal in video game design (The Walls) and a Silver Medal for Poetry (6.796 Billion Tiny Shapes).

I got the idea for Landscapes within Landscapes when my film teacher told me to film something in five minutes. I ended up finding a worm and following it around with the camera. The footage was pretty interesting so I started following other insects and filming rocks and plants from a bug's eye view. I do actually have a lot of really intelligent sounding things to say about the film, but I came up with most of them after the film was done.

A lot of different things inspire me. They might seem pointless or pretty; music, fun facts, things I don't understand, short stories or long walks. I don’t really base that much on feedback from other people. But if I don't have inspiration to do anything then I usually won't create.

ART.WRITE.NOW Begins its Journey Around the Country!

2010-11-03T14:20:00.001-04:00

Did you miss this year’s National Scholastic Art & Writing Awards Teen Exhibition in New York City? If so, you may have a chance to catch a segment of the works while they tour the country in the Alliance’s first-ever traveling exhibition, ART.WRITE.NOW. The roughly 100 works of art and writing on display in ART.WRITE.NOW. are merely a slice of the national exhibition which in 2010 showcased more than 600 visual and literary works from teens in grades 7 through 12 hailing from 45 states and 6 countries.

The exhibition opened on October 29 at the Fort Wayne Museum of Art, the first stop on its tour. A special exhibition reception with Fort Wayne Museum of Art Executive Director Charles A. Shepard III and Virginia McEnerney, Executive Director of the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers, is free and open to the public on Saturday, November 6 from 4PM – 5PM.

The Fort Wayne Museum of Art is open Tuesday – Saturday 11am – 6pm (until 8pm on Thursdays) and on Sundays 12pm – 5pm.

Through June 2011, ART.WRITE.NOW. will travel to the following venues and locations:

Fort Wayne Museum of Art, Fort Wayne, IN
October 29 – December 5, 2010
Opening reception: November 6, 2010, 4-5pm

Half Price Books Headquarters, Dallas, TX
January 8 – February 12, 2011
Opening reception: January 12, 2011, 7-9pm

Seattle Museum of Art, Seattle, WA
March 8 – April 24, 2011
Opening reception: To be announced!

Kantor Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
May 21 – June 25, 2011
Opening reception: May 24, 2011, 7-9pm

Can’t make it to any of the locations above? Visit the exhibition webpage to see a list of participating teens and to view an online gallery of the show.

ART.WRITE.NOW. is generously supported by Scholastic Inc., Ovation and Dick Blick Co.

Scholastic Art & Writing Awards in Anchorage, Alaska

2010-10-26T11:55:00.011-04:00

Image: Artist and teacher Leslie Matz demonstrating technique in class.

The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards are happening all over the country: from Portland, Maine, to Portland, Oregon. Even in Anchorage, Alaska – the northern and western-most point in the United States – art students in Leslie Matz’s A.P. and Advanced Art classes are preparing artwork for the Awards. In addition to being an educator, Leslie Matz is a practicing artist who creates jewelry, pottery, paintings and “seriously functional bicycle components.” This year, two of Matz’s students won national Awards for their metalwork and jewelry. We recently asked Matz to tell us about his dual identity as a teacher and an artist.

AYAW: How do you use The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards program in your classroom?

LM: We use the Scholastic Awards as inspiration. Seeing all the regional work in an exhibition is very instructive for both students and teachers - and the community.

AYAW: Do you create your own work outside of the classroom, and if so, can you tell us a little bit about it?

LM: I am a generalist, a designer, with broad media skills. I recently completed a mixed media sculpture titled, "Caduceus," with fish skin stretched across metal framework for wing skin. The Anchorage Museum bought it last spring. I have another piece, a small brass container titled, "de Bergerac's Dew Box." It's all about dew rising with the sun and causing flight. The museum bought that one a couple of years ago. I also make jewelry, pottery, paintings and seriously functional bicycle components.

AYAW: What do you find to be the most rewarding thing about teaching?

Image: Caduceus. Leslie Matz. Halibut skin on metal. Collection: Anchorage Museum.

LM: Watching students improve is rewarding, but watching them come to a point when they begin to value their work and the value of their arts education is tops.

AYAW: What's the secret to your success?

LM: Hard work. Taking risks. Messing around with found objects. Constantly learning.

Image: DeBergerac's Dewbox. Leslie Matz. DeBergerac wrote the first science fiction account of flying around the world by strapping on the power of dew. Collection: Anchorage Museum.

AYAW: What advice would you offer a new teacher?

LM: Make connections with more experienced teachers. Don't isolate yourself. Be patient; confidence comes with experience. Don't be arrogant towards other teachers, students, administrators or parents.

How A Boring Summer Job Turned Into A Best-selling Fantasy Series

2010-10-26T10:33:00.003-04:00

Image: Cover for Havemercy. Jaida Jones and Danielle Bennett. (Spectra, 2008).

The books Havemercy, Shadow Magic and Dragon Soul are part of a fantasy trilogy written by 2004 Scholastic Writing Portfolio Gold Medalist Jaida Jones and her co-author Danielle Bennett. The books begin with a tale of two cities, Volstov and Ke-Han. Amidst warring magicians, macho dragon riders and their mysterious mechanical steeds, these rich characters must ultimately work together to find lasting peace.

How did Jaida and Danielle publish three books (with a fourth on the way!) and conceive a rich fictional world with original characters? Like many epic sagas, it started out with a Scholastic Award, a story about firefighters, and a sensitivity training class at a summer job.

What was the inspiration for Havemercy?
Jaida: Havemercy [our first book] was inspired by a three-hour sensitivity training course during a summer job I was working between college semesters. The woman leading the course told a story about the hazing of women by a predominantly male firefighting force—peeing in their boots and bullying them in the locker rooms. For some reason, that story wouldn’t leave my head, so when I finally headed back to my desk, I shot Danielle an email about it. We’ve both always been very into the fantasy genre and kept tossing ideas back and forth about how to make that experience into something inherently fantastical. We talked about elves, flying motorcycles, and then suddenly hit on dragons.

How was your manuscript “discovered” or picked up to be published? What do you think made it appealing to your publisher?
Jaida: Actually, we were pretty lucky. After I was included in an article published in the Wall Street Journal featuring fan-fiction authors who also wrote original works, our soon-to-be agent ended up finding my email address and asking me if I had any finished manuscripts lying around. Danielle and I had just finished writing Havemercy, so the timing couldn’t have been more perfect! I hand-delivered the manuscript and two weeks later, that agent called saying she really enjoyed the book and that she would love to represent us.

Danielle: We waited a long time—for us, but not in the publishing world!—to hear back after our agent sent it out to publishers. Six months later, we received an acceptance letter from Bantam Spectra’s Anne Groell at Random House. She worked hard to help us polish what we already had, and she loved our characters just as much as we loved them.

Do you feel your Scholastic Portfolio Award helped prepare you for this process?
Jaida: There was absolutely no sci-fi or fantasy in my portfolio when it won the national gold. It was poetry and a few short works of personal essays/memoirs. But the scholarship that was awarded to me helped me go to Barnard, and across the street from Barnard was Columbia, where I ended up taking a lot of East Asian history classes that influenced the fantasy worlds I was building. At the same time, the poetry that did win the Scholastic Award was published in a small collection that was featured in that Wall Street Journal article, which is how we ended up getting in touch with our agent. So things happened in an admittedly accidental, roundabout way, but everything really does tie back in with that first national recognition.

How did you brainstorm the fictional world in this book?
Danielle: Jaida and I always start with the characters and character dynamics. Part-way through the book, I drew a map in MS Paint that would help us get a better feel for the lay of the land. We wanted to write about dragons, but we wanted to make them different. Jaida has always been obsessed with old clocks and clockwork, so we came up with this idea of dragons that are built and infused with personalities, with their own capriciousness and personal quirks.
Image: Map of Volstov and Ke-Han empires. From Dragon Soul (Spectra, 2010).

What was some of the feedback you got from your editor about your first draft?
Jaida: I still remember how enormous our editorial letter was. Thirteen pages! That’s just our editor’s style, however. She broke down what needed to be changed page by page. One of the things I remember her coming back to again and again was the fact that she was looking for a lot more build-up in the beginning, so that we could lay the groundwork for the conclusion.

How did you respond to that feedback?
Danielle: It was really, really daunting at first. There were moments at the start when we had to ask ourselves, why did she even want this imperfect book at all? But in the end, after working hard to give her the manuscript she’d been hoping for, it became clear why she’d been so specific and meticulous. She was making sure we spent as much time as we possibly could world-building. Her method was incredibly helpful in terms of breaking down the different elements we had to improve on. We even ended up color-coding them, with green highlighter for world-building issues and pink for character relationships.

Is there anything you learned the “hard way” about writing fantasy and science fiction series that you think others could benefit from?
Jaida: We didn’t write our first book with an outline or even any plan of where we were going and what we were doing. While it was an amazing amount of fun figuring out where we were going while we were going there, it also made for a lot of revision work later. So planning things out in advance definitely helps in the long run.

What are some of the important elements of a series that help people come back?
Jaida: I wish I knew! What has always caused me to come back to a series has been the characters. What will happen to them? Where will they go after the so-called ‘end?’ That’s how I’ve always written—with characters first, everything else later—and that’s how I read, too.

Legendary Science Fiction Writer Madeleine L'Engle Judges 1970s Scholastic Writing Awards

2010-10-25T11:58:00.004-04:00

Image: Madeleine L'Engle. Juror for The Scholastic Writing Awards, Short Story Division. Literary Calvacade, 1973.

Sci-fi author Madeleine L’Engle enjoyed careers as a librarian and an actress by the time she judged short stories for the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards in the early 1970s. But like the young writers whose work she evaluated, she was no stranger to criticism. L’Engle’s best known work, the sci-fi children’s classic A Wrinkle in Time, was initially rejected by dozens of publishers in the early 1960s. Why? According to Madeleine L’Engle: “A Wrinkle in Time had a female protagonist in a science fiction book, and that wasn’t done.”

L’Engle drew inspiration for the Newberry-winning book from several places: a camping trip in the American west, time travel, her family’s farmhouse in Connecticut and a book on quantum physics. But in addition to having a female protagonist (awkward, mousy-haired Meg Murry), the manuscript also drew criticism for its religious references, and because many publishers didn’t initially see it as a young adult book. By a stroke of luck the manuscript came into the hands of an editor who was supportive of the work, and the book was published in 1962. A Wrinkle in Time became the first book in a science fiction quartet that includes A Wind in the Door, Many Waters and A Swiftly Tilting Planet. A Wrinkle in Time has never been out of print and has been republished in numerous editions. A graphic novel adaptation will be released in Fall 2012.

Of the Award-winning student short stories submitted in 1973, L’Engle commended young writers for their embrace of fiction and fantasy. “I am pleased to note a wider enthusiasm for the world which is beyond the world of provable fact, an awareness of fantasy and fairy tale as vehicles of truth, rather than as escape from truth.”

Scholastic Award-Winning Teens Honored in Washington, D.C.

2010-10-20T15:48:00.007-04:00

Photo, above: 2007 Alumna Ebony Robinson shares words of inspiration with 2010 Scholastic Award winners. (Alliance for Young Artists & Writers.)

On October 8, 30 Scholastic Award-winning teens convened in Washington, D.C. to participate in an exhibition reception and ribbon-cutting ceremony for ART D.C., the Alliance’s ongoing collaboration with the U.S. Department of Education and the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities. For the next year, their works and others from the 2010 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards will be on display at the DoED and the PCAH and will represent to policy makers, officials and notables on Capitol Hill the value of arts education.

Scholastic Award-winning students who attended the festivities came from as far away as California, and woke up as early as 4AM to drive down from New York City. In addition to a ribbon cutting ceremony, students also took a tour of the capitol building and participated in a creative development workshop with performance artist and poet Regie Cabico. Also present to honor these young artists with some words of inspiration were Martha J. Kanter, Under Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education; Virginia McEnerney, Executive Director of the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers; and Rachel Goslins, Executive Director of the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities.
Photo: Teens help cut ribbon at the U.S. Department of Education Exhibition. (Alliance for Young Artists & Writers.)

Fifty-six works will be on display at the Department of Education (400 Maryland Avenue S.W.), and forty-three works will be on display at the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities (1100 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Suite 526) for the next year. To view the exhibit by appointment at the Department of Education, contact Marilyn Joyner at marilyn.joyner@ed.gov, and to view the exhibit at the President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities, contact Lindsey Clark at lindsey.clark@ed.gov.

Photo: From left: Performance artist and poet Regie Cabico; Rachel Goslins, Executive Director of the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities; Virginia McEnerney, Executive Director of the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers; and Martha Kanter, Undersecretary of the U.S. Department of Education.
Award-Winning Teens Featured at the U.S. Department of Education
Jose Arreola, 18, NC
Allie Ayers, 16, VA
Sara Barnes, 18, TN
Sarah Bradach, 13, MA
Caleb Brown, 18, FL
Alexandria Bryan, 14, NH
Tyler Bullock, 17, NC
Orié Cepeda-Willgerodt, 13, NY
Jaclyn Colello, 17, NY
Rachel Criswell, 18, PA
Kevin Dao, 17, WA
Linh Tran Do, 18, TX
Xavier Donnelly, 17, VT
Amy Donovan, 18, VA
Mazelle Etessami, 14, CA
Caroline Felner, 14, OH
Karla Flemming, 16, CO
Sean Frisoli, 18, CT
Justin Fung, 16, NC
Andrew George, 16, IN
Emma Glennon, 17, NH
Shawn Glover, 17, SC
Malliccaaii Green, 18, IN
Meredith Haake, 18, NC
Amanda Hanna-McLeer, 16, NY
Dominique Jenkins, 18, SC
Susan Kang, 17, GA
Sun Jung Kim, 17, VT
Sarah Kuipers, 18, MI
Stewart Lawrence, 17, TX
Grant Leung, 17, OH
Kimberly Lord, 17, IN
Allison McGrath, 18, PA
Max Mikulecky, 18, KS
James Niekamp, 18, KY
Victoria Nikolich, 18, GA
Kayla Parsh, 17, OH
Addison Pollard, 15, AL
Nicole Pratte, 18, CO
Isaiah Russell, 17, NY
Isabella Schubert-Jones, 14, PA
Sam Shapiro, 18, OH
Karen Shea, 17, OR
Sasha Smith, 16, NY
Esther So, 17, CO
Melisse Sporn, 18, FL
Anna Steele, 18, FL
Boya Sun, 18, KY
Azania Toure, 15, DC
Lachlan Turczan, 16, CA
Rachel Walker, 18, TX
Audrey Warren, 15, DC
Jahana Wazir, 18, WV
Amy Wilcox, 17, MN
Erica Young, 17, PA
Chloe Zimmerman, 18, MA

Award-Winning Teens Featured at the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities
Josh Adams, 18, WV
Sally Baek, 17, NC
George Brooks, 18, CA
Megan Burton, 18, NC
Jaclyn Casavant, 17, NH
Jocelyn Contreras, 14, KS
Michaela Curtin, 15, MA
Aubry Daman, 17, IN
Emily Damone, 13, IN
Mary Defer, 17, OH
Xavier Donnelly, 17, VT
Tiffany Droke, 18, DE
Elanor Eberhardt, 12, OH
Rachel Finlaw, 15, CT
Becky Flannigan, 16, NY
Kate Fleming, 17, VA
Will Frazier, 18, VA
Tiffany Gordon, 17, TX
Emily Grayson, 16, CT
Soomin Kim, 13, NJ
Michelle Lee, 17, VA
Maddy Leeser, 16, CA
Caroline Lindley, 17, TX
Kate Mattingly, 18, KY
Max Mikulecky, 18, KS
Alec Nguyen, 14, FL
Tara Niami, 16, CA
June Park, 16, NY
Rachel Parrill, 16, KY
Paulene Phouybanhdyt, 17, WI
Addison Pollard, 15, AL
Nathalie Pouzar, 16, KY
Taylor Risser, 14, IN
Payne Rueter, 16, IL
Melisse Sporn, 18, FL
Ashley Standage, 16, KS
Julia Stauble, 17, NC
Lauren Taylor, 18, TN
Courtney Vassar, 17, KS
Melanie Waller, 14, NY
Travis Waller, 17, OH
Alyssa Watson, 17, NV
Margaret Zrabkowski, 14, LA

Ask a Writer: Getting Your Science Fiction Story Published

2010-10-19T17:24:00.006-04:00

Tiffany asked: I'm seventeen 17 and I've finished a Young Adult book that measures in at 256 pages and somewhere around 80,000 words. I've been trying for months to find an agent to represent me because I want one of the bigger publishing houses to find my book. Random House would be awesome, but that is but a dream, a fancy of a teenager.

How can I know who is reliable? I've been turned down numerous times, but each time I was commended on my writing skills. I'm hoping that it is simply the economy making agents less likely to take in new writers.

Also, I have a short story or two I would like to publish, with the hopes of getting recognized. They are science fiction and I'm not sure what magazine to contact.

As you can see, I'm really excited about writing (I even plan on being a journalist when I graduate high school), but need a little help from someone who knows what they're doing.

Thank you for your time,
Tiffany

Tiffany, it sounds like you're organized and dedicated and you just need access to information. All the information you want will be in Writer's Market 2011. Writer's Market is a guidebook for writers with listings of agents and publishers. The thing about being an agent is that it doesn't require a license –-- anyone can just declare themselves an agent, so there are some hucksters out there that you should avoid. Sticking with the agents listed in Writer's Market should limit you to agents who are legitimate.

Science fiction magazines will be listed in Writer's Market as well. The key there is to pick a magazine that you are familiar with (and if you're not familiar with any, get familiar). Then send them a story that you know fits their editorial tone. So track down a copy of Writer's Market 2011 and start circling the agents and science fiction magazines that look good to you.

Good luck with your book!

Ned

Have a question about the writing world? Ask Ned! You can e-mail us at askned@artandwriting.org, or you can learn more about Ned at www.nedvizzini.com.

Image: Flight of The Imaginary Creatures. Youngmin Lee, Grade 10. 2010 Gold Medal, Drawing.

A 2010 Scholastic Award-winning Ghost Story

2010-10-18T10:59:00.006-04:00

High School Senior Amanda Miles won a National Gold Medal for her science fiction and fantasy piece, Allister Reese. Below is an excerpt from her haunting ghost story.

Pasta’s a lonely meal. I make it when I’m tired or alone, and certainly not expecting company. It’s quick, easy, the best option when a meal for myself isn’t worth slaving over. It was a nice dining room. It reeked of an aged renaissance, smothered in thick, rich tones of red and accents of creamy white—a well-blended atmosphere in no urgent need of interruption.

I had never believed in ghosts or demons, any paranormal phenomenons like that. I’d been completely psyched about this Tuesday: moving day. The little, bleak blue house down on the corner of Maple and Haver seemed perfect, well-suited for me. Until I realized it was that little blue house located on the sputtering, questionable ends of Maple and Haver, which seemed to have their reputations dampened by this traumatically tainted house. They never told me who had lived here, or informed me of who had stabbed himself in the parlor, however many years back. They never told me his name or what he’d been like, or why he’d done it. Never shared with me anything of his infamous afterlife, never showed me the list of victims, or told me how many souls he’d eaten.

“Ssssskkkkeeoooohhh.”

Sand in the time sift drooled like droplets of molasses as I stood up. My wineglass in perpetual motion, falling to the parlor floor, never seemed to shatter or splatter. I couldn’t hear it. Couldn’t see it. All I heard was the voice. All I saw was the man.
He was calm and cool. Stood firm and fresh in front of me. The glass slowly lulled around the floor as I watched him. A moment of trance unable to be broken by a human persona of an awkward silence. Jeans, pale shirt, unbuttoned at the top. The chiseling began at the V, and pulsed down his torso in ravishing ripples. He looked new and clean, too pure for something damned to an eternity in this lonely house. He didn’t strike me as a suicide—didn’t look like he’d want to take away anything of the everything he’d been given. He looked confident, but curious, something rather odd for someone who had a countless amount of time to inquire. I wondered when the first question would come, I could feel them, there were plenty, dancing like little caged insects inside his empty soul, fireflies matching in luminosity inside his fluorescent figure.
He didn’t move to advance on me, yet I felt a pull to him. Like the supernatural force that claimed him reached for a hold on me, too.
“Hello, my name is Allister. Allister Reese,” he bowed. His choice of formal greeting seemed out of place for the situation. I eyed him suspiciously.
“Hello…I’m—”
“Venya, I know. Pleasure to meet you,” he nodded.
“Just Ven.” What a mysterious little creeper. He already knew my name.
He spread his arms wide, “Welcome to my home.”
Perfect; a territorial numen—just what I needed my first night in. When I didn’t answer, he proceeded, “Please, continue your meal.”
I never broke eye contact as I cautiously slid back into my chair and tackled another meatball, forgetting about the spilled wine.
“You just gonna sit there and stare at me?”
“I felt it more proper than rudely concealing myself, promoting my presence as something more of a friendly household companion than a spy.”
I absentmindedly twirled up a few bites of spaghetti on my fork as I continued to inspect him.
“How long have you been here?”
“A long time.”
“I mean today.”
“I’m always here.”
I was quiet again. Not too sure how to proceed with our introductions, not sure what to ask a ghost. He sensed my confusion and a smart little smile emerged.
“I’m sorry, you shouldn’t feel this uncomfortable in my home. Would you like me to leave?”
“Are you going to leave or just disappear?” I asked.
“Disappear.”
“You’re right. This is less creepy.”
He laughed, leaned back in his chair and settled in.

There were a few specific things that sparked my inquisitions about Allister’s being as I came to know him over the next few weeks:
Allister never left the house. I didn’t completely understand why. And when I asked, he said he simply just never felt like it. Allister never talked about his death and wasn’t confined to after-hours; he was out at all times of the day and would occasionally meet me for breakfast in the kitchen. Slowly our conversations became more fluid. He’d greet me when I came home from work, unless he was unusually bothered by something. If I didn’t bring work home from the office, we’d stay up all night at the kitchen bar. He’d ask all the questions, about my family, my childhood, my old house, and which house I liked more. Sometimes I wished he’d let me join in on the cross-examination, but then again I didn’t know what I’d ask.
The bigger the space grew between his knowledge of me and mine of him, the more I was attracted to him. He was a mystery, a puzzle that I wanted to take all the time in the world to solve, and the small sense of vulnerability intrigued me.

Allister also developed a strange fascination with my cooking. When I couldn’t see him in the kitchen, I’d feel his presence lurking over my shoulder. The next time I made pasta, he sat and watched. He didn’t talk, just sat in silence observing my work. It confused me. I figured this would be a typical action of someone who had a desire to re-create the dish later himself, but Allister was stuck here in quite a peculiar state, a twilight—able to move, unable to do, able to talk, yet unable to interact. It bothered me. I wondered how much it bothered him—if it did at all. I couldn’t find a trace of irritation, couldn’t read a thing from his transfixing transparent face.
“Yes?”
He caught me staring at him. I’d absentmindedly slowed to a stop in my stirs around the boiling fettuccini.
“Nothing, nothing.” I refocused on the stove. He continued to watch.
“I forget what it’s like.”
“What’s like?” I asked.
“To eat.”
“Oh.” I couldn’t think of anything better to say. “It takes up a lot of time.”
He threw me a funny look.
“I waste so much time preparing food, eating food, digesting food...”
“I wouldn’t mind making another meal.”
Allister had too much time. He’d forgotten to be human. He didn’t remember what it was like to be irritated, or how annoying the chores of everyday life were. It made me wonder how old he really was—how much time had lapsed since his last painfully normal day.
“What’s it like?” I asked.
He already knew what I was talking about. He thought for a moment.
“Different. Very different.”
“Does it look different?”
“It feels different…everything feels so hollow.”
I waited for more.
“It’s hard to remember life, it used to be hard to compare, but with you around I get a taste of it—a refreshment. You’re different, apart from all the inert objects that occupy my existence. I sense something else with your presence that I can’t in others.”
He sounded so alone. Suddenly I was where he was, trapped in this box, and just the moment sucked all my happiness away. On nurturing instinct, I took the steaming teakettle from the backburner and went to grab him a mug, but then caught myself. The situation nipped at me. I felt helpless. I poured myself instead.
“Does it tease you?” I asked.
“It’s better to feel something than nothing at all.”

Allister got dangerously close. He plotted further than the physical boundaries that disconnected us. It was hard to keep him out, especially when I was mad or frustrated—or found myself set off by a past lover. They were nothing alike, but the poltergeist seemed to always weave webs of relation back to himself in my head, no matter how hard I fought against it, or how black and white the differences were between him and anyone I’d ever met.
He heard it before it happened and was already there waiting.
I slammed the door shut, threw my bag down on the kitchen floor, and hurled the keys against the wall.
I screamed hysterically.
He waited.
I flew around the kitchen in a bull-run tirade, thrashing open the cabinets, roughly shoving things around in search of a clean glass. Soon, without success, I slammed that shut too.
“Godforgetit. Just forget it.” I sat down on the barstool. Took a breath.
He gave me some time. Then came over to sit beside me. Fumes slowly smoldering to death in his presence. He didn’t have to say anything. Just look.
“Bad day,” I said. I didn’t really want to talk. Sometimes I felt silly, like I was sitting in front of an overly patient psychiatrist. Allister kept looking, waiting for further explanation. I loved that about him. His euphonic aura infected me, like an incurable mutated strand of disease so advanced there was nothing I could do to stop the contamination.
“You know, I wish more people were like you.”
“Explain.”
“Just relaxed…understanding. I dunno.”
“You come to understand a lot when you’ve been here this long.”
“I know. I just…wish people could sit here like you can.”
“This is my house. I’ve been sitting here a long time.”
“I wish everyone else had the time.”
“Ven, all I have is time.”

Image: New Love Found. Kelsey Hart, Grade 12. 2010 American Visions Medal, Photography.

Calling all Sci-Fi and Fantasy Writers

2010-10-13T14:06:00.013-04:00

The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards are one of the best opportunities out there for aspiring writers of science fiction and fantasy to get their work recognized. But the Awards are not the only writing competition that accepts entries in this category. Below is a sampling of opportunities devoted exclusively to science fiction and fantasy. Some contests offer cash prizes and opportunities for publication, so please read the directions/rules carefully as some restrictions and entry fees may apply.

Contests

Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, Science Fiction & Fantasy Category: Eligible students in grades 7-12 may enter poems, short stories and dramatic scripts with science fiction or fantastical themes. Entries must be between 600 – 3,000 words. Deadline varies by region.

L. Ron Hubbard Writers & Illustrators of the Future Contest: Open to both writers and artists, this unique contest offers a range of cash prizes. Submissions for both artistic and written works are accepted quarterly. National Fantasy Fan Federation Contest: http://www.n3f.org/N3Fssc.shtml (December 31, 2010)

The International Aeon Award Short Fiction Contest: Get international acclaim in this short story contest accepting submissions in all forms of horror, science fiction and fantasy from around the world. The contest is sponsored by Ireland’s premiere science fiction magazine, Albedo One. Submissions must be received by November 30, 2011.

The Willycon Short Story/Poetry Contest is sponsored by the Wayne State Science Fiction and Fantasy Club, in conjunction with the WillyCon convention.

2011 Jim Baen Memorial Writing Contest: Sponsored by the National Space Society and Baen Books, this contest was established in memory of science fiction writer and publisher Jim Baen.

Image credit: Exile. Kelsey Laycock, Grade 12. 2010 Silver Medal, Art Portfolio (Digital Art).

Conceptual Artist John Baldessari To Receive Alumni Lifetime Achievement Award

2010-10-06T16:48:00.006-04:00

On May 31 2011, the Alliance will honor John Baldessari with an Alumni Lifetime Achievement Award. John Baldessari has become one of the best-known figures in American conceptual art. As a student in National City, California, Baldessari experimented with pastels and watercolors, but it wasn’t until he picked up a camera in high school that his art finally became noticed. “I guess I was good, because there was something called the National Scholastic Art Award in the US, and my art teacher encouraged me to enter. At that time I was experimenting with photography, so I put in a photograph, and I won. That’s where it all began,” John Baldessari remembers in a 2009 interview with European art magazine Tate Etc.

Since winning his Scholastic Award, Baldessari’s work has appeared in over 200 solo exhibitions and 900 group shows in the U.S. and abroad. His diverse body of conceptual work includes everything from canvas paintings to billboards, film, photography and art books. Much of his work deals with the nature of imagery, absences and life cycles. Humor also plays a role in his work. In one famous 1970 piece, The Cremation Project, he burned his early paintings from 1953 – 1966 and baked the ashes into cookies. The cookies were placed in an urn that was displayed with the cookie recipe and the paintings’ dates of creation and destruction.

John Baldessari’s fifty-year retrospective, John Baldessari: Pure Beauty will open at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on October 20, 2010 and runs through January 9, 2011. Prior to its opening at the Met, the exhibition was on display at the Tate Modern in London; the Museu d’Art Contemporani de Barcelona in Spain; and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.

Recent Alumni Lifetime Achievement Award recipients include sculptor Tom Otterness, painter Philip Pearlstein, writer Joyce Maynard and poet Carolyn Forché.

Photo Credit: Sidney B. Felson, 2007. www.baldessari.org

5 Tips for the Science Fiction & Fantasy Category of The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards

2010-10-04T12:15:00.010-04:00

What makes the science fiction and fantasy genre so appealing is that anything can happen – the sky’s the limit! Even when you’re writing about an imaginary world, it’s still possible to incorporate elements that are familiar. When director James Cameron conceived the natural environment of Pandora for the movie Avatar, he drew heavy inspiration from his dives in tropical coral reefs. And multilingual lyricist and composer Stephen Schwartz adapted words from Latin, Egyptian, Greek, German and Italian to create incantations for Wicked Witch Elphaba in the musical Wicked.

When planning a fictional world, sometimes it also helps to set it down on paper. Who are your characters, and how do they think or interact with their environment? If your characters speak a unique language, what are some of the words?

Before letting your imagination run wild (which we fully encourage), here are a few tips to remember when submitting work to the Science Fiction & Fantasy category of the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards.

Jurors are looking for inventiveness, originality and a unique writing style. Be sure to only submit works that are your absolute own creation.

Any written pieces (poems, dramatic scripts, short stories and short short stories) with science fiction or fantasy themes are encouraged.

Submissions should be between 600 – 3,000 words.

Careful proofreading and polishing goes a long way to strengthening a work.

Only written pieces are accepted. Graphic novel excerpts dealing with science fiction themes can be submitted to the Comic Art category instead.

Some of the best advice on the subject comes from 2010 Science Fiction juror Alex Carr: “Read more. Read more Science Fiction & Fantasy and other genres, but save room for contemporary fiction as well. The more you read, the more you understand how writing works.”

Good luck!

Image credit: Judicial Branch Inquest into Flight of R. Byrd. Elizabeth Peterschmidt, Grade 12. 2010. Silver Medal, Art Portfolio.

Creating Concept Art for Video Games and Film

2010-09-29T09:58:00.005-04:00

Concept artists work across diverse industries – automotive, video games, animation, theater, movies and toys – to bring ideas to life. Recently, Senior Concept Artist Chris Bourassa at Vancouver-based Propaganda Games shared some of his tips for emerging artists interested in working on concept art for video games and film.

AYAW: What are some of the types of projects a concept art department handles? Are you designing characters, creating scenery for game levels, brainstorming the look and feel of the video game, or something completely different?
CB: For a concept artist’s role, you’ve pretty much covered it. You will work with an Art Director who establishes the parameters of the high-level vision and your job is to distill that vision into illustrations so the 3-D modelers have material to work from. Characters, props, environments, game play maps and ideas, weapons, icons – you can expect a mixed bag of tasks.

AYAW: What’s your advice to rookies in this field or aspiring concept artists?
CB: Early on, you need to be willing to try anything, draw anything, in any style as best you can. There are a million great illustrators out there, but concept art is more about design and communication than it is about polished and refined art. Great written and verbal communication skills are important too.

AYAW: What kind of skills do you use on the job – are you working primarily with 3-D modeling materials, computer programs, or traditional mediums?
CB: I work primarily with Photoshop for all my digital paintings. Other concept artists here use Maya and/or Google Sketchup to create base geometry on which to paint.

AYAW: What are some of the highs and lows in the life of a concept artist?
CB: You get to work with other talented artists, be a part of something bigger than you alone could have made. You get to see your characters and environments realized in 3-D, with lighting, voices, animation – that’s my favorite part of the job, hands down.

Deadlines are ever-present and usually quite tight. You have to get comfortable working under a certain amount of pressure. There hundreds of last minute requests and tasks that pop up out of nowhere and that can be hard to juggle.

In this industry, it’s never a good idea to get too attached to a painting. In game production, we don’t paint art, we paint ideas. An image will be changed, thrown out, reused, edited, cropped, color corrected – you name it. You may get feedback you hate, or you may be asked to dramatically change what you think is a good image. Concept art exists to explore different directions and, sadly, many of the directions are dead ends.

AYAW: How did you get started?
CB: I did a BA in Sociology, then came out to Vancouver because I wanted to get into art for TV or games and did a 16-month digital animation diploma program. Even with classes, I had to work really hard on my own to bring my animation demo reel up to snuff. But employment in this field is determined by three things: the quality of your work, how well you interview, and who you know. The portfolio is particularly important.

AYAW: Any general tips about preparing a portfolio for concept art?
CB: Adaptability is critical. Specifically in concept art, a portfolio needs to show some variations/iterations. For example, draw an orc in a loincloth, copy it 9 times and do 9 different costumes. This shows that you can provide an art director with options. Indecisive art directors love options. When you get a job, you aren’t working for yourself, so no matter how much you may love dragons, a portfolio full of them isn’t going to get you far.

You will rarely get the time to do a finished, polished piece as a concept artist, so being able to show solid, dynamic medium polish images with a few supporting sketches is a must, in my opinion. New hires need to demonstrate a good range of skills, read: don’t draw just spaceships.

AYAW: Any last words of wisdom?
CB: The most important thing I can say is, if you want a job drawing, then you have to draw. Carry a sketchbook everywhere, go to life drawing, read about art. Think critically about what areas in your skill set you need to improve. Contrary to popular belief, being a good artist is 90% practice and only 10% talent.

Image Credit: Character Designs for Online Video Game. Copyright: Chris Bourassa.

When Our Regional Programs Manager, Raf Torres was in High School...

2010-09-28T10:45:00.004-04:00

Like many of the impressive Scholastic Award winners out there, I took part in the program as a senior in high school and won a Gold Key in my region. This in turn resulted in a $1,000 merit scholarship from the School of Visual Arts in New York City. While I worked hard on my submission to the Scholastic Awards, part of the credit belongs to my high school studio art teacher, Ms. Mears. She often stayed late after school to provide feedback to students and help us prepare work for arts competitions, sometimes even driving us home if we didn’t have a ride.

The positive relationship I had with Ms. Mears had an enormous impact on my life, and I wanted to do similar work in the arts. Both my Award and teacher inspired me to go to art school, and even get a Master’s degree in nonprofit arts administration. When I was hired to fill the position for Manager, Regional Programs at the Alliance, my goal to help teens reach their artistic dreams became a reality. I now get to work with more than 100 affiliate partners who manage the Awards in their regions. Affiliates are a driving force of the program: they inform, encourage and support teachers and students who are part of this great opportunity.

The 2011 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards have recently opened and I can’t wait to see what students will submit. I remember how hard I worked to win my Award, and I also remember how exciting the process of creating my painting was. Making art is one big experiment: you start with an idea but can’t always predict what it will be. I think the surprise and what you learn are part of what makes the creative process so rewarding, even if you don’t always win for it.

Image credit: Jars. Katherine Gorman, Grade 12. 2010 Silver Medal, Drawing Portfolio.

Do writers choose the actors starring in movies based on their lives?

2010-09-27T15:30:00.014-04:00

Author and Scholastic Writing Award alumnus Ned Vizzini's first novel, It's Kind of a Funny Story, is being adapted into a movie by Focus Features and will be released this October. The story is inspired by events in the author's own life.

ONE READER ASKED: Can writers choose the actors who appear in movies about their books? Did you get to choose the actor who plays you in your movie?

NED SAID: No, writers do not get to choose the actors who appear in films based on their books. Those decisions are made by a casting director, whose name you see in the credits of the film -- and that's okay! It's the writer's job to write a good book. It's the casting director's job to pick the best cast.

So, in my case, I did not pick Keir Gilchrist to play Craig Gilner in It's Kind of a Funny Story. (And just to clarify -- Keir plays Craig Gilner, not me! Craig Gilner is based on me but he's fictional.) But I am thrilled that he was chosen because I think he does a great job.

If you have questions about the writing world, just ask! E-mail us at askned@artandwriting.org.

Photo credit: It's Kind of a Funny Story. K.C. Bailey - 2010, Focus Features.

Experimental Filmmaker Haunts Archives of Scholastic Art & Writing Awards

2010-09-24T10:15:00.009-04:00

Last year, we discovered the 1951 Scholastic Award-winning short story of experimental filmmaker Stan Brakhage. Around the same time this year, while processing our archival collection, Fate (or the spirit of Stan Brakhage!) dropped a new piece of his story into our laps— a short autobiographical passage, plus a yearbook photo from his senior year. Score!

Stan Brakhage attended high school at South High School near Denver, CO. He would later become the “Father of Experimental Film,” and even “film teacher” to noted South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone. It seems like Stan Brakhage did everything as a kid—from singing soprano on radio to heading the drama and literary clubs of his high school. In 1951, his story won First Award in the Scholastic Awards’ Short Story category, and was also selected for the Ernestine Taggard Memorial Award and a $50 cash prize (worth over $400 in today’s economy!). The Ernestine Taggard Memorial Award was offered in memory of one of Scholastic Magazine’s notable literary editors and presented to a student who, according to the 1951 edition of Senior Scholastic, “displays special talent and versatility in creative writing.” The magazine goes on to say that Stan “hopes to make a career of writing, utilizing perhaps, both his literary and dramatic experience in creative work.” In addition to his honors in 1951, Brakhage also won Scholastic Awards in 1949 and 1950.

Brakhage’s writing and dramatic experience would indeed come in handy. Brakhage described his films as "moving visual thinking" and he often created work by manipulating the film emulsion directly with paint or collage techniques. Music and poetry remained important influences in his work, and he’s celebrated as one of the most influential American avant-garde filmmakers of the 20th century. In a conversation between Lithuanian filmmaker Jonas Mekas and Stan Brakhage in November 2000, Mekas remarked: “I think the work [of avant garde filmmakers] is universal, because poetry is universal. There is no difference between reading a volume of Sylvia Plath and seeing a film by Stan Brakhage…”

Film: Stan Brakhage: The Glaze of Cathexis. (1990).

Emerging Animator Seth Boyden Plays Music, Makes Monsters

2010-09-20T10:16:00.005-04:00

Seth Boyden started animating clay models in his parents’ basement in sixth grade. Over five years later, Seth Boyden is an emerging filmmaker who has won three national medals (a Gold Medal, a Silver Medal and an American Visions Medal) from The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. He not only creates his own Flash and stop-motion animation films, but also designs characters and collaborates with friends and family to compose original music. Seth has even begun drawing international attention. This year, Oxford University Press selected one of his adapted films to be part of an online textbook for language arts.

We recently caught up with Seth to learn more about his craft, his plans for the future and to collect some monster-making tips!

AYAW: How did you get into animation?
SB: My interest in animation began when I was in the sixth grade. Like other young animators, I used my family's camera to animate modeling clay in the basement. Over the years, I have taught myself the techniques of animation and now I have begun to focus on the storytelling and artistic potential that animation has to offer.

AYAW: How do you plan the story?
SB: Of course, the most important element in any film or animation is the story. The stories I come up with are always inspired by a centralized message I want to express. From there, ideas and thematic elements sort of pool together as I organize the story into the form of a script or storyboard thumbnails. Sometimes, the time it takes to polish the story is longer than the time it takes to actually animate the film.

AYAW: What are your inspirations?
SB: I feel that my animations are mainly inspired by things that I have a particular interest in, and like many art students, my interests are always changing. For example, I come from a musical family, so I play piano and saxophone along with my friends to create original music for the animated films. I'm always inspired by jazz improv, and I take any opportunity I can to incorporate it into animation. When it comes to making films, I usually try something I've never done before, which makes each film a different challenge from the last. Whether it is animating cloud layers, or creating retro-1950 characters on a computer, mixing it up keeps me thinking.

AYAW: How do you create the characters and animate them?
SB: No matter what method of animation is being used, I always make sure a character is set in pen and paper before it appears anywhere on a screen. This way, the character develops visually with every drawing and redrawing to better accentuate characteristics I think the audience should know about.

When the final concept drawing of the character is completed, they are recreated either in plasticine for a stop-action animation or created digitally in computer animation software, depending on the chosen medium.

AYAW: What tools did you use?
SB: For my stop-motion animation, a process that requires taking hundreds of pictures to form a sequence, I use a digital camera that's attached to a computer. This way, captured photos are immediately converted into frames in a movie, which are much easier to collect and edit. To be specific,I use Apple's iStopmotion software and then edit the collected scenes in a video editing program.

For special effect shots and computer-generated character animation, I create the material for the sequence in a photo editing program (Adobe Photoshop) and then transfer them to a two-dimensional animation software (Adobe Flash) to be animated, one scene at a time.

AYAW: Do you plan to go to school for film/animation?
SB: That's the plan. I hope to some day join the animation industry, and I've already started visiting various art schools around the country to get a better picture how to build up my portfolio. I love what I do and have fun along the way, so I guess that’s really what it’s all about.

Just like any artist, there's never a finish line where you can say, "I've finished knowing all there is." As far as I'm concerned, I’ve barely left the starting gate!

Photo Credits (above): Concept sketch for Chroma. Seth Boyden. 2010 Gold Medal, Film & Animation.

Get the flash player here: http://www.adobe.com/flashplayer

Taehyun Kang, Founder and Art Director, WOW Art Studio

2010-09-16T15:59:00.007-04:00

It’s been 12 years since Art Director Taehyun Kang founded WOW, an afterschool and weekend art studio for teenagers. Since 1998, he’s trained and mentored not only hundreds of young artists, but 3 Portfolio Gold Awards winners as well! He also earned the distinction of Gold Apple Teacher of Art, and its $1,000 award, for a second time in five years. Under his leadership, WOW Art students have submitted the greatest number of outstanding artworks in 2010. We asked Kang to explain why he and his students take part in the Awards.

I have always wanted my students to have a broader range of experiences and this includes art competitions such as the Awards. They provide a great incentive to students to work hard and put their best foot forward.

The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards stand out because a specific theme, style or medium is not required. It is a tremendous opportunity for students to realize their visions with a sense of freedom. The pride and accomplishment that my students feel in earning an Award is unparalleled.

In the WOW studio, I respect each student’s individuality and their personal potential. During class, I don’t give them any specific methodology for making art, but allow them to experiment with whatever they wish to try. I guide them in developing their own concepts so that they may realize their ideas. This is due to my firm belief that each student has a unique artistic voice within them—whether they are exceptionally technical, expressive, even colorblind or have special needs.

It’s not very often that students or teachers get an opportunity for self-examination. How are we to evaluate our progress? Taking part in the Awards gives me this chance and I am thoroughly encouraged to continue to try my best for each student.

As a teacher, my mission is to provide many means for students to get out there and gain experience beyond the classroom, regardless of results. Students connect with their work and they should have a chance to see other people’s reactions as well. The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards is one of the largest and most prestigious communities in which young artists can share, learn, and evaluate themselves in a real-world context.

Ovation Inspired Teaching Awards: Special awards presented to two teachers whose exemplary dedication to their students is commendable.

To Mystify and Entertain: Scholastic Award-winning Animation from Jack Kavanagh

2010-09-14T17:23:00.009-04:00

In lieu of a written piece this month, we present you with the film and animation portfolio of 2010 Art Portfolio Gold Medalist Jack Kavanagh. Portfolio Gold Medals are awarded to seniors for an outstanding body of artistic or literary work and include a $10,000 award. Jack’s Art Portfolio was the first animation portfolio in the history of The Awards to win this great honor. According to Jack: "My dream has always been to use art to challenge and entertain audiences. I love the idea of leaving an audience satisfied but somewhat puzzled."

You can view more teen-produced, Scholastic Award-winning film and animation on our Youtube Channel, the Scholastic Gold Key. Enjoy!

Image still: Ink. Jack Kavanagh, Grade 12. 2010 Portfolio Gold Award.

Healing Through Creativity

2010-09-10T09:58:00.006-04:00

Every year the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers is fortunate to witness the incredible talent of creative teens from across the country who submit their work to the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. The words we read and the artwork we view tell a multitude of stories about the experiences of teenagers from all walks of life. On September 15 we will once again open registration for students in grades 7 through 12 to submit their work in 30 categories of art and writing. We know that we’ll see a breadth of imagination and a depth of emotion. And now, thanks to a sponsorship by the New York Life Foundation, we will also be able to encourage students who are dealing with issues of loss and bereavement by offering six very special scholarships to select award winners.

The issue of loss is a common theme in the Scholastic Awards as teens use their creativity to deal with the bereavement process. 2009 Scholastic Award winner Chelsey Shannon used her creative writing skills to help deal with the untimely death of her father, comedian Blair Shannon. Chelsey, who also lost her mother at age 6, says of her father’s death, “Right after I learned he died, all I could do was write letters to him, just so I’d have some sort of connection.” Chelsey was one of more than a thousand teens honored at Carnegie Hall by the Alliance. She has since published a book and continues to receive accolades for her writing.

There are many others like Chelsey out there, and we are grateful to the New York Life Foundation for providing us the opportunity to encourage them to use their artistic and literary talents to help them heal. Please spread the word by encouraging every teen you know in grades 7 through 12 to submit their works of art and writing that deal with loss and bereavement to the 2011 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. Six students will be selected to earn $1,000 scholarships. Click here for information on how to apply.

Image credit: Claire, Galvestion. Alex Goss, Grade 12. 2010 Silver Medal, Photography Portfolio.

Get Ready....Set....Paint!

2010-09-08T15:28:00.019-04:00

Registration for the 2010-2011 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards opens September 15th!

Last year, we received over 165,000 creative works from students across the country and in U.S. schools abroad. This year, we hope you’ll encourage every creative teen you know to participate. There are even three special awards this year for both artists and writers.

CREATIVITY & CITIZENSHIP: ART FOR SOCIAL CHANGE AWARD
From the women's suffrage movement to the civil rights movement to saving the environment, Americans have used the arts to create an awareness of history and promote social change. Teens are encouraged to submit their works of art and writing that address contemporary social issues important to them. Three winners will be selected to receive $1,000 scholarships. This special award is presented in collaboration with the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia.

NEW YORK LIFE AWARD
Creative expression can be a powerful way to manage the grieving process. Teens are encouraged to submit their works of art and writing that deal with loss and bereavement for the opportunity to earn recognition as part of a special New York Life Award. Six winners will be selected to receive $1,000 scholarships.

B.I.G. AWARDS (Best in Grade)
The Alliance will provide $500 scholarships to 2 artists and 2 writers in each grade of The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. These Best in Grade scholarships will be chosen from the Gold Medals across all categories (with the exception of Portfolios).

If you’re stuck on what to submit, don’t worry. You can view some of the 2010 national winning work on our Online Gallery or read it in Best Teen Writing , Spark and our National Catalog. You can also learn more about our other categories.

Image Credit: Buckett. Thomas Murillo, Grade 12. Painting. 2010 Creativity & Citizenship Medal.

Ask a Writer: How Do I Submit My First Book to a Publisher?

2010-08-31T13:02:00.010-04:00

I'm a nineteen year old author working on a young adult novel. I've gotten good feedback on it from writing teachers and when I finish with it, I want to submit it for publication. When I am done, what is my first step in figuring out how to market it and submit it to publishers?
Thank you,
Dana

Ned Said: Dana, if you're a 19-year-old author looking to publish your first young adult novel, you need to decide whether you want to publish with a major publishing house (Random House, HarperCollins, etc.) or an independent house (like Free Spirit Publishing, who published my first book when I was 19).

The reason this is important is that major publishing houses will not look at your manuscript unless you are represented by an agent. Independent publishing houses, in general, will.

The question over whether to publish with an independent or major house has always been divisive and is still complicated today. Although major publishing houses usually have more resources at their disposal to pay you, the indie book world has been full of success stories over the last 10 years. Authors such as Shane Jones (Light Boxes) have seen their books move from independent houses to major houses; others like Noah Cicero (The Condemned) publish exclusively with independent houses or on their own via Lulu to a vibrant and supportive audience. Don't discount the loyal readership you can get in the independent book world.

Once you've decided whether you want to publish with an independent or a major, get the 2011 edition of Writer's Market. This is like a Yellow Pages (remember those?) for writers; it lists agents and publishers, with their addresses, emails, and areas of expertise.

Go through Writer's Market and look for someone who will get your stuff. (If you've written a supernatural book about gardening, you should be looking for an agent or independent house that specializes in organic ghost stories.) Make a list of 7 people to submit to and send your book off! At that point, you have to trust that the proof is in the pages. Good luck!

Have a question about the writing world? Ask Ned! You can e-mail us at askned@artandwriting.org, or you can learn more about Ned at www.nedvizzini.com.

Image Credit (above): The Pizza Place. Katherine Gorman, Grade 12. Painting. 2010 Art Portfolio Silver Medal.

New This Year in the 2010-2011 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards

2010-08-30T10:14:00.006-04:00

We hope you’re all enjoying the final weeks of summer and that you’ve found some time for beaching, barbecuing and being lazy.

Here at the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers, summertime means we’re in full swing preparing for the next cycle of the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. This year, we open the registration system on September 15 and we anticipate more than 200,000(!) submissions from talented young visual and literary artists across the country and in U.S. schools abroad.

In addition to the Awards program, we have some exciting new plans this season. Beginning in October, we’ll be traveling a segment of our 2010 National Teen Exhibition to five states where audiences will get a personal glimpse at the magnificent works of art and writing being created by the country’s top students. We’ll also be holding video game design workshops in key locations between September and November, thanks to the AMD Foundation and our buddies at E-line Ventures. Students and teachers will be invited to learn about the elements of game design, the educational value of game play and what tools are available to create games. And last but not least, the Alliance and our partners, the Poetry Society of America and the National Writing Project, will present our first-ever Institute on Teaching Poetry. The Institute will convene middle and high school English teachers and a roster of renowned poets and will focus on craft, classroom and community with a goal to empower teachers to cultivate their personal poetry writing, invigorate curriculum on teaching poetry in classrooms, and generate poetry projects that can be implemented in communities nationwide.

We look forward to sharing news with you on all of these projects over the course of the coming year. And, of course, we can’t wait to see what remarkable works of art and writing are submitted to the 2011 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards.

~From Kerri Schlottman, the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers' Director of External Relations

Image, above: Wish. Grace Lee. Sculpture. 2010 Scholastic Art Awards, Gold Medal.

Local Scholastic Art & Writing Awards Program Saved by Art Teacher

2010-08-25T09:56:00.007-04:00

Sixteen years ago, the local Scholastic Art & Writing Awards program was in danger of disappearing from Jennifer Baldwin’s region of Erlanger, Kentucky. The local organization that hosted it in the past announced it would no longer be running the program. Jennifer, just settling into a new high school teaching position, wasn’t about to let The Awards go without a fight. “All of those years students spent developing their portfolios for possible scholarship consideration evaporated in that cancellation letter,” she recalls. ”I didn’t know exactly how I would do this, but I wasn’t afraid to try.”

But how could one art teacher raise $15,000 to keep the program going?

A Regional Affiliate has to process thousands of submissions every year, organize public events like exhibitions, readings and award ceremonies; convene expert panels of professional artists and writers; and promote the program to local schools. Jennifer also had to find a place that would accept up to 4,000 pieces of art for evaluation. Needless to say, it took knocking on a lot of doors to find space and funding. “In my mind I was thinking, ‘What are you doing? But another little voice said, ‘just keep doing.’” In the end, Jennifer pulled together the funding from a mix of donors and matching grants and found a funeral home to host local the show! For a time, she even ran the program out of her house.

In 2001, Jennifer founded Art Machine, Inc., a Newport (KY) nonprofit, to provide and enrich young artists in the greater Cincinnati (OH) area. The nonprofit also serves as an umbrella organization to run The Scholastic Art Awards and to ensure the program’s continuity.

She now bears the two titles proudly: Executive Director, Art Machine, Inc., and Regional Affiliate Coordinator of the Southern Ohio, Northern Kentucky and Southeastern Indiana Art Region. Jennifer is a passionate advocate of The Scholastic Art Awards, having witnessed its far-reaching impact of students’ lives over the years. “I always mention at our annual ceremony that in our audience (of award winners), there are students who will change our culture as so many of the program’s alumni have done. Parents also make a point to tell me how much it means to them too.”

The program also receives support from Summerfair Cincinnati and has come a long way since the days when its regional exhibition was hung in a funeral home. This year, the region boasts a National Art Portfolio Gold Medalist, Sean Pettiford, who received one of 15 $10,000 college scholarships. Outcomes like this are exactly why Jennifer dedicates the time and resources to the program: “The best part of running this program is helping kids work toward their dreams and goals.”

Photo, above, left: Local Scholastic Award winners from Southern Ohio, Northern Kentucky and Southeastern Indiana Art Region the pose for a shot. Photo courtesy of Art Machine, Inc.
Photo above, right: Celedon. (Selection from portfolio). Sean Pettiford. 2010 Portfolio Gold Medal, Ceramics & Glass. Grade 12.

What IS a Short Short Story? Read Loretta Lopez's Winning Example

2010-08-20T11:42:00.006-04:00

From Alliance Summer Intern Rick Morgan:

As an intern with the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers, I’ve read some great examples of teen writing, and this piece was one of many that stuck out for me. This two-page short short story thrusts the reader into the middle of a dialogue that reveals the past through subtlety and implication. The dialogue in this piece is coupled by an array of minor actions that give the two characters away. The man’s smile, most noticeably, is an uneasy attempt to cloud grief with a fabricated feeling of indifference. Perhaps the most striking aspect of this story is the writer’s use of metaphor. Take, for example, the sentence, “Rocío García Sanchez lives on his back; she is a heavy pair of wings that do not inspire flight.” Though it’s a short piece, a startling amount is revealed about the characters by the end. Their pasts are intimately felt, and their futures are left to your imagination.

Tattoo
(Loretta Lopez)

The cursive writing on his back tells a story of a late night full of loneliness and boredom.

I ask if he regrets it.
He sighs and wraps a towel around his wet body.
“A little.” His typical candor is absent. I feel I have known him for a long time after a few hours but realize that this conversation will be bounded by this afternoon. His scarcity makes the words that drift along the pool special. He probably will not let me know him for long so I ask questions eagerly in hope of remembering him vividly.
“Why did you get it done?”
“ I was just curious I guess.” His smile tells me otherwise. It meant something at some time, Rocío García Sanchez.
“Who is she?”
“An old friend. We don’t talk anymore.” His fingers play with each other, signaling that I should talk of something that does not make him dive into a distant and regretted past.
“Good thing it’s on my back, that way I don’t have to stare at it all the time.” He grins showing white teeth.
I have heard that name before, maybe whispered in hallways of our school, and maybe shouted through the streets in search of a girl who deserved to be engraved in swirls on rich brown skin.
His eyes grow sad for a few seconds, drifting towards the cool drops sweating down his beer bottle. The sun makes his skin beautiful while only making mine burn into a shade of uncomfortable red.
He takes a sip, distancing himself from the awkwardness I have created and I suddenly feel ashamed for trying to squeeze out the secrets.
The pool shimmers and I sink my feet into the tempting water, allowing him to remember the name in silence.
Rocío García Sanchezlives on his back; she is a heavy pair of wings that do not inspire flight. She keeps him on pavement, making his every step linger eliminating the leaps from his agile body.
Sometimes he can feel the cursive handwriting on his back, sore like the first day he wore her. He remembers that tingling pain too well, even though it has been a couple of years that he has grown out of that fifteen-year-old drunk on adrenaline and passion.
I take my feet, now wrinkled and bland, out of the water. The sun has faded a little, and slowly grey clouds start to appear demonstrating our lack of remaining time.
“You must have really loved her.”
“Love…I don’t even know what that means. Everyone says it all the time. I love your shirt, I love that show, I love you. What does it matter anyway? Maybe when it’s real you don’t have to say it.”
I smile at his words, and realize I have never been in love before and neither has he.

Loretta Lopez is a senior attending an American school in Guadalajara, Mexico. Her short short story was part of her Gold Medal-winning General Writing Portfolio.

Image credit, above: My Grandfather. Elijah Mlawsky. Grade 12. 2010 Gold Medal, Drawing.

Adventures in Filing: Stories from Our Interns

2010-08-18T14:15:00.006-04:00

An update from the trenches from our summer intern, Rick Morgan.

Despite what some might think, working for the Alliance isn’t always the fast-paced, rockstar lifestyle people imagine. I know that’s why I signed up for this internship, and I certainly did get a full serving of the adrenaline-fueled dream during my first week preparing for the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards Ceremony. The work we do, however, isn’t always full of parties with celebrities like Mel Bochner. The majority of the year is busy outreaching to students and teachers to encourage participation.
One thing that makes the Alliance so great is our relationship with the alumni. A lot of people have won Scholastic Awards over the years, but not just the Truman Capotes and Andy Warhols of the world: there are also many who have become jewelry designers, ad directors, film directors and more. Unfortunately for me, some of the alums won Awards in the Jurassic Period (aka, before the invention of computers) and this means that a lot of the archival information is stored on fossil-like things called index cards – and even entire folders devoted to different alumni. I recently spent a day shuffling through these cards in order to alphabetically order the past winners. It was fascinating to observe just how long the Awards have been going on and the places from which people have won.
It’s also important that we keep a pulse on what’s going on in the lives of the alumni as they move on into the brave new world. Many talented artists have won, which of course translates into a lot of exciting developments after they move on from the Awards. I know this firsthand, as I also recently spent multiple days going through the alumni archive and sorting articles and news that pertain to past winners. It was baffling to actually see the number of headlines past winners have made in all walks of life. Some continue to solely make art for art’s sake, while others have used their artistic talents for a variety of other purposes (business, design, advertising… you name it). It’s an incredible wealth of information and unfortunately I couldn’t spend hours reading every article I came across. Even so, I cheated a little bit and skimmed a few of the articles during my work. Out of all of the tasks my internship with the Alliance has entailed so far, going through the alumni files has been the most effective in conveying the prestige of The Scholastic Awards.
The Alliance for Young Artists and Writers works hard to maintain its external relations; whether it’s with alumni, donors, affiliates or sponsors. The work I’ve done here has shown me that this organization is about so much more than just the Awards themselves. There is a whole network of factors that make the program important as it is. The long-lasting relationships between the Alliance and the alumni accentuates the lifelong effect these Awards can have. They are a special prize whose inspiration and value cannot be taken away. I only hope that the Alliance does this good of a job keeping in contact with their former interns. I’ll be anxious to hear how the Awards progress and grow after my internship this summer is over.

~Rick Morgan

Image, above: Index card from the files of The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards.

From Scholastic Awards to Solo Exhibitions....

2010-08-12T12:04:00.014-04:00

Swing by the Brooklyn Museum to see two solo shows bought to you by alumni of The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. Abdi Farah and Andy Warhol are two generations of artists – one established, one emerging – whose works will inspire you to go running after for YOUR fifteen minutes of fame.

Andy Warhol (1928–1987) got his early start with The Scholastic Art Awards, but Andy Warhol: The Last Decade captures work from the last (but most productive) years of the artist’s life. Last Decade is the first assemblage of Warhol's later works by a U.S. Museum, and offers a rare glimpse at the inventive and experimental approach Warhol took to his art in his final decade. According to the Brooklyn Museum: “It was a decade of great artistic development for him, during which a dramatic transformation of his style took place alongside the introduction of new techniques.” Andy Warhol: The Last Decade was organized by the Milwaukee Art Museum and is currently on display at the Brooklyn Museum through Sunday, September 12th.

Work of Art, a new solo exhibition opening this coming Saturday August 14th, is the first of its kind and will spotlight 2005 Scholastic Award winner Abdi Farah. As a high school senior, Abdi Farah won an Art Portfolio Gold Award and $10,000 scholarship – The Awards’ highest honor. This past year, he earned his degree from the University of Pennsylvania and became one of the youngest contestants on Bravo’s new reality show, Work of Art: Next Great Artist. Over the course of ten episodes, he and thirteen other contemporary artists competed for a cash prize, a solo show at the Brooklyn Museum and the title Next Great Artist. Abdi produced original works in a series of artistic challenges each episode, and through sheer talent and creativity was announced the show’s winner on Wednesday, August 11th. According to Work of Art host China Chow: “He has an amazing spirit….It comes across in his work.” Following in the footsteps of Andy Warhol’s last decade, Abdi’s career is just beginning. Work of Art opens at the Brooklyn Museum on Saturday August 14th and will be on display through October 17th.

Photo Credit, above: Andy Warhol at Exhibition, wearing Gold Key Pin. Photograph by Susan Greenwood/ Getty Images.
Photo Credit, above: Abdi Farah with Scholastic Award-winning sculpture (2004).

Why Art Makes a Difference: Americans for the Arts Video Contest

2010-08-10T13:37:00.013-04:00

The Arts Matter…and Americans for the Arts wants to hear from you. The arts have been proven to have a positive impact on everything from academic achievement to the economy, but support and funding for the arts is shrinking. American for the Arts’ Why Art Matters Video Contest is your chance to tell over a million people why the arts play an important role in your life. Whether you’re a part-time writer, a teacher in a rock band or a student painter, take a shot at making a difference.

The winning video will be shown on MTV’s screen in Times Square, one of the largest electronic displays in the area. For contest and submission details, visit the Americans for the Arts' website.

Happy Birthday, Andy Warhol

2010-08-06T12:10:00.005-04:00

Scholastic Award alum Andy Warhol got his early start in Soho. And by Soho, we don’t mean the New York City mecca of culture and style that’s become synonymous with high fashion and world-renowned galleries. Warhol was born Andrew Warhola in the working-class suburb of Soho in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. From childhood he loved to draw, attending free classes at the Carnegie Institute and later becoming the first in his family to graduate from college by earning a degree in pictorial design. Through out his life, Warhol interacted with other notable Scholastic Award alumni.

In 1949, after finishing college, Warhol boarded an overnight train with high school classmate and fellow Scholastic alum Philip Pearlstein, where the two became roommates in New York City. That same year, when a magazine misspelled his name in an illustration credit, he decided to keep the typographic error, and “Andy Warhol” was born. Scholastic alum Truman Capote also inspired Warhol’s first solo show and was later known to visit his midtown studio, the Factory. Though the Factory building (located at 231 East 47th street between 2nd and 3rd Avenues) no longer exists, Warhol’s legacy remains.

Over the course of his career he became a leading figure in the American Pop Art movement, working with paint, printmaking, film and photography, and interacted with numerous cultural icons such as the Velvet Underground, Salvador Dali and Bob Dylan. His works (and birthday), continue to be celebrated through museums, retrospective shows, books and even memorial cupcakes.

Warhol was once quoted as saying: “If you want to know all about Andy Warhol, just look at the surface of my paintings and films and me, and there I am. There’s nothing behind it.”

Photo Credit, above: Andy Warhol at Exhibition, wearing Gold Key Pin. Photograph by Susan Greenwood/ Getty Images

Which poem did Langston Hughes Select in the 1948 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards?

2010-08-04T13:23:00.005-04:00

1948 was an intense time to be a high school student in the United States. The world was just recovering from World War II, and in that same year the Supreme Court ruled that religious education in public schools was in violation of the Constitution. But the winners of the 1948 Scholastic Awards’ poetry division were about to be part of literary history: esteemed poet, Langston Hughes, was judging their work!

Langston Hughes is best known as the “poet laureate” of the Harlem Renaissance, an African-American literary movement of the 1920s. Like many of the students who submitted writing for The Scholastic Awards during these years, Langston Hughes was concerned about the political climate. He wrote poems against Fascism in Europe, but over the course of his 40+ year career his main inspirations came from African-American culture, history and his own upbringing. He wrote about class issues and the great contributions of African and African Americans to world culture. In addition to judging for The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards in 1948, Hughes continued to support the work of young writers. He conducted a workshop for young writers in Chicago in 1949 and has been credited with supporting famous writers early in their careers such as Alice Walker, author of The Color Purple.

One young writer was selected by Langston Hughes (and three other Poetry judges) for a Third Award in Poetry in The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards in 1948. Echoing the 1936 poem Strange Fruit written by Abel Meeropol (pseudonym: Lewis Allan) and famously sung by Billie Holiday, the student-written poem Danse Macabre is a protest against racism and darkly references the practice of lynching, whereby blacks and civil rights protestors were killed by angry mobs through hanging.

Danse Macabre

Soft on the wind
Are the feet
Of the prancing dead.

Hanging in the air
Are whirling limbs
In ungainly tread.

Dipping down
Then gaily around go, while
Children ask in wondering sigh;

“Tell us brothers
Why dance you
So high.”

Image Source: Senior Scholastic, 1947.

Announcing the Winners of the 2010 New York City Photo Shot Contest

2010-07-27T16:19:00.007-04:00

Checking our inbox every morning has never been so interesting. Everyday for the last four weeks we’ve been receiving dozens of submissions for our New York City Photo Contest. Using only their medals, their wits and the dramatic backdrop of the city, this year’s Scholastic Award winners who made it to Carnegie Hall were challenged to capture themselves in their favorite New York City moments. The student with the winning shot was selected by a panel of experts (the Alliance staff!) to receive an iPod Touch, generously donated by TekServe.

The photos ranged from hilarious to artistic, action shots (eating cupcakes and jumping in the rain), to dramatic reenactments from favorite movies and impersonations of national monuments. In the end, these entries were so good that we had to include two runners-up.

Congratulations to first place winner Max Mikulecky, and runners-up Theresa Krosse and Lorena Knezevic.

Thanks to everyone who participated (and made reading our morning e-mails more fun than ever before!).

Credits, image above (from left to right): Theresa Krosse, Max Mikulecky and Lorena Knezevic)

Three Artists Who Have Changed The World

2010-07-27T09:56:00.016-04:00

I’m part of the Alliance for Young Artists and Writers’ External Relations team and work with a number of different fundraising and communications initiatives. As someone who spends hours writing and researching every week, there’s times I find myself stuck on an idea or even suffering from acute WBS (Writer’s Block Syndrome). An artist or writer can spend many solitary hours refining their craft, but I’ve found that getting together with a group of like-minded people can jump-start the creative process or even save it from flatlining. July being “creative get-togethers month,” I want to share a few of my favorite people who have leveraged their talents to combine teamwork with ingenuity. So while it’s hard to imagine the way you love to paint or the quirky way you think could change the world, the truth is that it might.

Jim Henson: People around the world can recognize Jim Henson’s creations as stars from The Muppet Show, Sesame Street and numerous movies and television shows, but not many people know his original characters got their start selling familiar products like potato chips and even coffee grains. When Sesame Street co-founder and producer Joan Ganz Cooney asked him to lend an artistic hand in creating Muppet characters for Sesame Street, the winning combination of artists, educators, writers and producers created one of the most successful children’s shows of all time. But each creation involves an entire team of people to bring to life, from concept artist to animator or puppeteer. While many Muppets are left handed (as in the case of a “rod Muppet,” a puppeteer might use a rod to manipulate the arm with his left hand and operate the head with his right), some Muppets even require more than one person to manipulate! Since Henson’s death in 1990, the company continues to produce original creatures, designs, television shows, specials and films.

Photo: Anti_Dog. (Source: http://www.aliciaframis.com)

Alicia Framis: When living in Berlin, Spanish-born artist Alicia Framis was warned to avoid certain neighborhoods where her darker complexion might make her a target to gangs of skinheads and their aggressive dogs. In response, Framis designed a fashion line made entirely out of Twaron, a bullet-resistant and stab-proof material. The anti_dog dresses have been displayed at several museums and galleries around the world and, with the help of several participants, appeared in their own fashion shows-turned anti-violence protests. “When I think about anti-violence, it is the place where creativity starts,” Alicia has said. “The brand of products called anti_dog is a mix of creativity and protection.”

Photo: Maya Nussbaum, Tina Gao, Michelle Obama (Source: Girls Write Now)

Maya Nussbaum: Maya Nussbaum won a Scholastic Award for Drawing in high school, but has always had a belief in the power of words. In 1998, she founded the nonprofit organization Girls Write Now. By pairing professional writers with teenage girls in New York City Public Schools, the organization encourages students to develop their creative voices and provides them with guidance. Every year, mentees from Girls Write Now submit their work to The Scholastic Writing Awards. “It is not an understatement to say that winning these awards changes lives,” Maya says. “It changes the girls’ attitudes about themselves and changes the trajectory of their academic and writing careers. I remember thinking, ‘My work matters? It must.’ ”

~Ariel, Manager, External Relations

OYSTER: A 2010 Scholastic Writing Award-Winning Poem

2010-07-26T10:39:00.006-04:00

Every month, we'll be selecting written student works to feature on our blog. Our summer intern, Amherst College Junior Rick Morgan, selected this month's poem, Oyster.

OYSTER
ANDREW SHACHAT, General Writing Portfolio Silver Medal, Poetry

I
Ruby heel to cold concrete, she struts
her silhouette out against the streetlight.
Her powdered nose tilts toward heaven
like a refined pink pearl bursting
from an exhausted oyster on a gritty shore.

Tonight, she’ll tangle wayward gentlemen
in her black fishnets like a school of lost soles.
Dull men with balding heads are kings
against her worn hands, gods against thighs.
Bourbon breath melts the rouge on her cheeks.

II
She’s too young for her cracked skin, too old
for plaid skirts and coy winks from red eyes.
I look out from my bedroom window and wonder
what makes a woman work the same street
she would hop-scotch down as a child every Sunday
after church.

Her exhales glimmer against the moonlight,
each smoke cloud one more ham sandwich,
an extra hour at daycare, last month’s rent.

Our eyes meet through the windowpane for a moment,
and I send her warmth, and her spine shivers,
thrusting another lustrous pearl from her depths.

Summer Intern Rick Morgan shares why he chose this poem to feature: The language in Oyster is too beautiful to ignore and is the main reason why I chose to single this piece out. The woman selling her body on the corner is a bleak scene, much like an oyster dug into the sand. The rough nature of her business threatens to destroy her delicate grace: “Bourbon breath melts the rouge on her cheeks.” Despite the grim scene that this poem paints, the last stanza gives the reader some hope for this woman. She may face hardship every night, but she won’t stop producing her subtle, illustrious pearls.

Image Credit: Laundromat. Jaclyn Wilson, 2010 Photography Portfolio Silver Medalist. Grade 12.

Bringing Teen Artists and Writers into the Spotlight in Fort Wayne, Indiana

2010-07-23T10:45:00.012-04:00

The Alliance's main office is located in New York City, but our Regional Affiliates can be found around the country. Here's the scoop on the Fort Wayne Museum of Art, our local partner running the regional Scholastic Art & Writing Awards in Northeast Indiana and Northwest Ohio.

The Fort Wayne Museum of Art has been involved in The Scholastic Art Awards for the last ten years. Starting as an exhibition space for local Scholastic Award-winning work, the Museum’s role expanded in 2004 to become a full-time Affiliate under the dynamic leadership of Max Meyer, Curator of Children and Family Programs and Joslyn Elliott, Director and Associate of K-12 Education. Expansion has been the key word: in its first year, the region received 1,100 individual entries and 20 portfolios. In 2010, they received more than 2,300 individual entries and 70 portfolios.

They have also grown geographically, originally serving 13 counties in Northeast Indiana and now working with 26 counties in Northeast Indiana and Northwest Ohio. Each year, more than 10,000 visitors view The Scholastic Art Awards exhibition at the museum, and many in the community endorse it as one of the best museum highlights. The museum also partners with NIPR (Northeast Indiana Public Radio) to create a radio show featuring the work of American Voices Nominees, read by local actors.

Max and Joslyn emphatically hail the benefits of The Scholastic Awards: “Teachers use their success in The Awards to justify expansion of their programs, get additional equipment and retain their jobs. There are hundreds of stories of kids gaining the respect and pride to pursue their dreams of being creative individuals.” This year, the Northeast Indiana & Northwest Ohio Region continues its upward trend, placing fifth in the nation for most national Medals.

Listen to pieces and excerpts of local and national winning students from Indiana, whose works were read by local actors and featured on Northeast Indiana Public Radio.

Theresa Gunty, Dissection. Download Theresa Gunty - Dissection
Carmen Heredia, Beyond The Border. Download Carmen Heredia - Beyond The Border

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Ask A Writer: Are there any qualifications to becoming a writer?

2010-07-12T16:26:00.004-04:00

Dear Ned,
If there are any qualifications for being a writer, what do you think they are?
Thanks,
Rachel (New York, NY)

Ned Said: Rachel, when people ask me about what it takes to be a writer, I remind them about Proust and Bukowski. Marcel Proust (1871-1922) was a child of French privilege who didn't move out of his parents' house until they were both dead. Charles Bukowski (1920-1994) was a child of poor German immigrants who made a living for years betting on dog races. And they both produced some of the greatest writing of the 20th century.

The fact that two people from such different walks of life could both find success in writing should make you feel great. That means that you can hang out on your mother's couch and have her bring you tea and write about how difficult private school is... or you can hang out with circus performers and write about animal husbandry. It doesn't matter. The only things that you need to do to be a writer are 1) read a lot and 2) write a lot, as discussed in Stephen King's On Writing, which is a great resource that you should read closely.

Do be aware that once you identify what kind of writing you want to do, the qualifications become more rigid. If you want to be a journalist, then you should go to journalism school. If you want to write poetry, then it may help you to stay within an academic system and teach while you write. I have more details about professional writing strategies in my FAQ. Good luck!

Have a question about the writing world? Ask Ned! You can e-mail us at askned(at)artandwriting(dot)org, or you can learn more about Ned at http://www.nedvizzini.com.

Image Credit: Turn of the Century. Elizabeth Miserendino, Grade 12. 2010 American Visions Medal, Painting.

What a Way To Celebrate 200 Years

2010-07-06T16:28:00.004-04:00

This past July 4th there were barbeques, fireworks and visits to the beach. In most places across the United States, the day commemorating the signing of the Declaration of Independence was celebrated just as John Adams predicted it would be over two centuries ago: "It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance; it ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires and illuminations from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forever more."

In 1976, on the bicentennial of Independence Day, one student wrote about his views on the celebrations. His opinions are his own, but the backdrop of current events he writes against is eerily familiar today.

Below is an excerpt from the 1976 Silver Medal-winning essay What a Way to Celebrate 200 Years by novelist, law professor and human rights activist Thane Rosenbaum, our 2009 Alumni Lifetime Achievement recipient.

"200 years ago today, Americans were at war against the oppressive rule of England’s King George the third. Farmers and noblemen fought as brothers, side by side, for the freedom they so desperately wanted and the liberty on which their young country would be founded. Today, 200 years later, Americans again find themselves at war, this time against the oppressive weight of our nation’s birthday of independence in the middle of an economic recession and the increasing rate of unemployment. Our revolutionary ancestors celebrated their triumph with the grace and glory deserving of a great new nation. We now celebrate their victory with the glitter and glamour of the plush Broadway musical 1776 and as much grace and glory as a Marx Brothers comedy. The stars and stripes still wave, though not as proudly, on the seat of someone’s faded jeans and our Star Spangled Banner had been changed to the tune of ‘You deserve a break today at McDonald’s.’ And that’s the way it was…and is.

What a way to celebrate 200 years. In the grip of an energy crisis and a pollution menace, the government is encouraging our citizens to jump into their family cars and to rush madly to some place else to celebrate the bicentennial. Never mind the tension, overcrowding, waste, and pollution we will create scrambling about our giant ant-hill; we will spend money, and that’s what really counts. I wonder what Benjamin Franklin would think about his phrase, “A penny saved is a penny earned” if he found out that Congress, over the past decade appropriated 500 million dollars for state and local festivities to celebrate the bicentennial...

That old American saying “What so proudly we hail,” has now been changed to the new version of ‘What so proudly we sell.’ Even our enemy during the revolution has learned something about America. Their British Airways has changed its advertising slogan to read ‘You gave us the business 200 years ago, America; here’s hoping you’ll do it again…’

Some study and reflection upon our past might reveal just how we got to this time, and how we can profit by our mistakes as well as our success. True, public debate, town meetings, and commitments by government, education, religion and labor to find answers are not flashy. They don’t sell products, they don’t light up the marquee and cause lines to form, but if we don’t reverse the trend of our celebration now, then many more will swarm into the city like locusts, feed on tacky souvenirs, visit a museum or two, and then depart mid a trail of empty pop bottles and candy wrappers. Government will feel smug about having provided bread and circuses, and the Chamber of Commerce boys will throw their arms out of joint trying to pat themselves on the back and count all the money at the same time. And, like true patriots, we’ll all salute the banner bearing our national symbol, the dollar sign, and if we last another 100 years, perhaps some announcer at the end of a brief recapturing of history will say….’And that’s the way it was…in 1976.’"
Image credit: Benjamin Simon, Grade 12. Waiting for Superman. Painting. 2010 Art Portfolio Gold Medal.

Traveling in Japan, Space and Making Music: A Chat with Scholastic Award Alumna Kat O1O

2010-07-02T10:44:00.009-04:00

Oakland, California-based Kat Ouano (who goes by the name Kat O1O won national recognition for her talent in visual arts from The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards with a piece entitled Back Alley at the Break o’ Dawn. But alongside her talent in art, Kat demonstrated early promise in music and began playing classical piano at age 4 in her native Wichita, Kansas. Kat is a keyboardist who plays with numerous Bay Area musicians, including the hip hop band Crown City Rockers. She’s also created music for diverse clients such as video game companies, T-Mobile and PBS. We caught up with Kat last fall to talk about making music, creating art and space travel as she was preparing to go on tour in Japan.

AYAW: You’ve been involved in creative activities from a very young age. Did you have a teacher or mentor who was particularly supportive of your work?
KAT: All of my piano teachers growing up were super supportive of my music. As for my visual art, I didn’t even know that I was good until my teacher Brent Knott suggested that we enter my piece into The Scholastic Art Awards! So he was the one who had complete faith and support in my art.

AYAW: Can you tell us a little bit more about your Award-winning piece, Back Alley at the Break o’ Dawn?
KAT: It was part of a project in art class. We all were working on graphite pencil drawings at the time and I chose this picture to recreate. I got really into it and the next thing I know my teacher said, ‘We should enter this in The Scholastic Art Awards.’ It’s all about the shading and the vanishing point in this one. I really liked shading.

AYAW: Are there any aspects of your visual arts experience that are helpful to you in your career as a musician?
KAT: Most definitely! I believe that all art is in the same vein. Most creative people are creative in multiple aspects of their lives. It’s a work ethic also. No one is paying you by the hour as an artist, so you really have to love what you’re doing and make sure you do it.

AYAW: Do you have any advice for someone with a lot of different interests – say, football and poetry? Is it a question of choosing one over the other, or is there room to pursue more than one interest?
KAT: Of course there’s room to pursue more than one interest. I think that’s what make people people. As long as there’s passion, then it translates into all areas of your life.

AYAW: Being a musician, an artist, or a writer sometimes involves being the center of attention – whether at an exhibition, a performance, or a reading. Do you ever find yourself getting “stage fright?”
KAT: It’s funny, I’ll get stage fright in the most unusual places. We’ve [Crown City Rockers] played for thousands and thousands of people at festivals and I’m cool. Then we’ll do a small show for a handful of people and I’ll get complete stage fright, shaking and everything. I used to get stage fright all the time, but I think the more you do something, the more you get used to it and it becomes easier. Just like practicing an instrument or practicing a certain style or drawing or painting.

AYAW: Is it easier for you to create when you’re alone, or when you’re collaborating with a group? Is feedback and/or collaboration in the creative process?
KAT: I believe they are completely different worlds. When I create something while alone, it is very personal. When collaborating, you bounce ideas back and forth. Plus it all depends on the mood I’m in. Often it’ll be easier for me to create when I’m alone. But everyone gets writer’s block at times. Collaborating with a group is good because you get energy from the other people you create with. It’s all a synergistic process, which is sometimes very difficult if you have multiple strong egos - like having too many cooks in the kitchen. I love both ways. Feedback is important in the creative process, but you must be careful not to take anything too personally. Remember what your goal was in the beginning, listen to the feedback, and take it from there. There have been many times when too much feedback has killed the creative process completely. And you never want to kill the creative process!

AYAW: Was there anything in particular that influenced your decision to pursue music, as opposed to another career?
KAT: I auditioned to get into Berklee College of Music, and when I found out I got a scholarship, that was it. No turning back.

AYAW: Do you still do any drawing or painting on the side?
KAT: As part of the business, I’ve learned to manipulate Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator to make flyers and album covers and stuff. So I guess that’s still in the art world. It’s funny, as you grow older you have to start compartmentalizing your time, so most of my time is taken up by music.

AYAW: How did you end up touring in Japan? What’s the local culture like?
KAT: My band plays a certain style of old school organic jazzy hip hop with live instruments. Japanese people absolutely love that kind of music. They’ve invited us to play there a few times now and we’re definitely going back. The culture in Japan is completely different than U.S. culture. It’s very eye opening to see. Even though kids are kids everywhere, there is a very different way of doing things. They seem to have a respect for everyone and everything out there. And they take pride in everything that they do to the utmost. And it’s like the future! They’re runnin’ circles around us in technology! I love it!

AYAW: I noticed your Facebook page has a certificate of participation mentioning that your name will be carried to Mars on a microchip as part of NASA’s Mars Science Laboratory rover. What does that mean? Do you have any latent ambitions for space exploration?
KAT: I adore space. I’m so excited to have this certification! Even though it’s part of probably a billion different names, I love it. Hopefully in my lifetime they’ll have space exploration for the average folks. If that happens, I’ll be the first in line!

AYAW: Some musicians, artists and writers talk about having “day jobs” so they can support themselves while making art. Can you talk about what a “day job” means before you started playing music full-time? Did you ever have a really interesting one?
KAT: I’ve had every job under the sun, trying to make ends meet. Only a very small percentage of musicians, artists and writers get that golden ticket. You can be an artist, but you still gotta eat, pay rent and bills. I’ve done everything from being a personal driver, teacher, candle maker, soap boxer, receptionist, file clerk, secretary, caterer, cocktail waitress, bartender, you name it. But everything was in order for me to create music. Make the money to pay the bills so you can concentrate on making the art.

AYAW: What would be your advice to students in high school or middle school who want to pursue a “creative” career as writers, artists or performers?
KAT: Do it! Love it! Be passionate about it and things will fall into place.

Learn more about Kat O1O at www.KatO1O.com.

Photo Credit (Above): Leo Docuyanan.

A Search of Thirty Years Ends With a Question

2010-06-29T10:23:00.008-04:00

Over 30 years ago, a chance encounter with a childhood friend inspired one teen to write a letter about the experience and submit it to The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. The piece won top honors and was published; and the young writer grew up, married and pursued a successful career in law. Decades later, she was contacted by a stranger who had read the Award-winning letter in an old classroom magazine and had spent several years trying to find her to ask her a question. “Why,” he wanted to know, “didn’t you ever become a novelist?”

The question remains unanswered, but here’s the work that inspired that decades-long search.

To An Old Friend

I saw you on the street on Tuesday. At first you didn’t know me. The sultriness of the day had wilted my clothes and the feeble breeze had straggled my hair. I suppose I didn’t much resemble the seven-year-old you used to play “house” with in huge, flimsy cardboard boxes in the backyard. You called my name hesitantly, slurping over the syllables the way you used to when we were younger. No one ever pronounced it that way after you left. You smiled and said, “How are you?” and took my hands in yours and held them in your steady clasp. I wanted to talk to you; to say something silly like our password—the word that opened the doors to the Club, composed of the select few who used to meet on Georgie’s tree-shaded patio. Remember?

I looked at your face. You’d gotten so good-looking; your eyes were that same crisp, translucent green that I loved because they reminded me of the ocean. I used to be taller than you, too. Now, you towered above me, your skin tanned to a toasty gold and flushed with sunburn; your fresh, plaid shirt collar opened at the throat. I felt so rumpled standing next to you. You asked me to go for coffee with you. I couldn’t help thinking how you once swore to me, in the thin light of a Saturday afternoon, that you would never drink coffee, or smoke cigarettes, or carry an attaché case to work; never grow up, but always stay a little boy. We strolled into town together, past the boutiques with their fancy display windows, past the Five and Ten, and suddenly I was seized with the urge to race you to the corner. It was on the tip of my tongue to ask you, but I swallowed my words. I had known you once. I did not know you now.

We walked into a café with a lemon-yellow awning and sat down. We ordered coffee and began to talk generally, skimming across the years. You wanted to know what I was doing with my life. I told you. Then I asked if you had ever become the “astronaut of your dreams.” You shook your head and grinned, saying that you were a lawyer. But you had been an astronaut then. Both of us had been astronauts. And we had gone to the moon together and farther, and come back.

The coffee arrived and I sipped the scalding brown liquid. You told me you were getting married. I was happy for you. Memories, subtly intense, brought me back to another wedding. A childhood wedding: our wedding. In a cement driveway shrouded by monstrous oaks and the red brick wall of my house, a white fence climbing with yellow tea roses and the air smelling sweetly of newly mown grass. I had a bouquet of dandelions and my sister threw rose petals at us as we ran laughing into the street. It was I who had proposed to you.

You glanced swiftly at your watch and then said that you had to meet your fiancé at a ballet in the city. You paid the check, tipped the waitress generously; and taking my arm, walked with me out onto the sidewalk. Then you turned to me and smiled, and briefly, almost coolly, you kissed my cheek. I thought about the trips to the beach where you taught me to swim, and the chocolate popsicles we used to share. I thought about the pungent, emerald-green grass, wet with dew, and how we would roll over and over on that smooth carpet until we were dizzy. I thought about the tangy piles of dried autumn leaves and Halloween. I watched you hail a bright yellow taxi and slide in. As you pulled away from the curb, I knew I would never see you again.

So, I said goodbye to you and that other time and goodbye to the piece of me you took with you when you left.

Photo credit: Adventures in the Mist. Natasha Sadikin. Grade 12, Age 17. 2010 Silver Medal, Photography.

Ask A Writer: How To Get Your Work Noticed by Magazine Editors

2010-06-28T12:09:00.008-04:00

Katie asked: Writing is who I am and what I love to do. I’m trying to get my articles noticed by entering online contests and sending my work to magazines, but most of the time I don’t get any response. How can I get my stuff out there? What do people like to read?

Ned Said: In terms of getting your writing noticed, you asked "What do people like to read?" The first thing you need to do is answer that question yourself: what do you like to read? If you love reading about cars, then maybe you should be submitting pieces to Road & Track -- but if you're into gardening, that might not be the best choice. Nothing annoys a magazine/newspaper editor more than getting a submission from a writer who hasn't read the magazine or newspaper! You need to be intimately familiar with the writing you enjoy and want to emulate to start doing it professionally.

Then, if you're submitting to magazines, you may not be doing it right. It's a complicated process so I'll outline the steps for you: make sure you are following them chapter and verse.

First, if you have any kind of personal connection to the magazine (your parent went to college with the editor; the editor's daughter is on your swim team), contact the person you have a personal connection with. Don't be afraid to use the connections that come your way -- in the future, when you're successful, you'll have the opportunity to give back and help other people personally. Create a spreadsheet on your computer listing all of the people who you know who are involved in publishing/media. Keep their addresses, phone numbers, and emails in this central spreadsheet, as well as the last date you talked to them, a "history" of what you've done together, and a "current status" as to where your relationship is now.

Second, if you don't have any kind of personal connection to the magazine, contact the slush mail address given in the masthead. The masthead is the part of a magazine that lists all the staff and business publishing info; it's usually found near the front, after all the ads, and it will begin with "Editor In Chief" or "Publisher". At the bottom of a masthead is an address -- this is the "slush mail address." It's the general address of the magazine to which you can send unsolicited submissions.

Write your article. Make sure you know exactly WHERE in the magazine it would go; don't send in any revolutionary new ideas!

Format it properly and include a cover letter (NOT a cover letter like for a job, just a simple letter with your return address that says:

Dear EDITOR,

Included please see my story for SECTION. I
hope you enjoy it! Be in touch anytime at YOUR CONTACT INFO.

Sincerely,

YOUR NAME.

Then -- wait. Send a follow-up letter in two months if you don't hear back. That's really all it takes to get published in magazines. There's one thing that you might want to do to psych yourself up for the process -- pull a little Jedi Mind Trick in your head for a moment. Here you are submitting your writing to a magazine. That magazine is a big scary place that doesn't need little writers like you. Now -- Jedi Mind Trick -- picture yourself as the editor of the magazine. You have to put out a new magazine every month, or week, or, if you're a newspaper, day! You're desperate for new content and new talent. So really it's YOU, the writer, who has the power.

Finally, in terms of supporting young writers, I'm a big fan of Teen Ink, a nationwide magazine that publishes work by teenagers, and New Youth Connections, a New York City-wide newspaper written and edited by teens.

Have a question about the writing world? Ask Ned! You can e-mail us at askned(at)artandwriting(dot)org, or you can learn more about Ned at www.nedvizzini.com/.

Image credit: Shawn in commons 6. Shawn Glover, 2010 National Gold Medalist. Art Portfolio.

For Student and Teacher, Photography Is Inspiration and A Way of Life

2010-06-25T10:49:00.009-04:00

If there’s one person that Oceanside High School photography teacher Nanci Nigro would bring in to co-teach a class, it would be America’s Next Top Model Nigel Barker. We recently caught up Nanci and one of her advanced photography students, Katlyn Cruz, whose digital print Twilight won a national Gold Medal in this year’s Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. Senior Katlyn Cruz is deaf and communicates in class with the help of an American Sign Language interpreter.

AYAW: So, given the chance, you’d invite Nigel Barker to teach one of your classes for a day. Seriously?
Nanci: I’ve been teaching photography for the past 15 years. While I'm tempted to respond with something totally cliché, I'll go with the truth: Nigel Barker. My students would freak! But seriously…I have the most amazing job that anyone could wish for. I have the opportunity to work with creative minds that constantly seek change and new ideas. My students range in abilities and teaching is exciting and challenging at every level.

AYAW: What inspires each of you? Are there any events, people or feelings in your life that inspire your artwork?
Katlyn: When I was a little, I’d draw anything that was on my mind. My mother bought the art supplies; she knew I’d need them. My skills improved over the years and one day I heard about Photoshop and photography from one of my friends. I thought, why not try it? Oceanside High has digital photo classes and I wanted to learn more. So I took these classes and started to improve. Dave Hill is also one of my biggest idols because his works are so amazing. I’ve learned a lot from his work, like how it works to take the right position of pictures. I also show my work to my teacher and interpreter for their feedback. I’m lucky to have them.

Nanci: In addition to teaching, I run a photo studio in Long Island City, New York. Working as an artist keeps me on top of new trends and technologies. It's important to me that I create my own work and also maintain a connection to the field.

AYAW: Can you both tell us a little bit about the process of creating the Award-winning piece Twilight?
Nanci: I did work with Katlyn on her Award-winning piece, which was part of a series of self-portraits and double exposures. But the creation was all Katlyn and, upon seeing the final image, I was blown away with the result.

Katlyn: I originally created another picture for the assignment, but at the last minute I took pictures of New York City and a few days later I took pictures of myself on slow shutter. I combined both and created the smoky effects using Photoshop brushes. I worked and reworked it several times – the winning image was my third attempt.

AYAW: Do you see any challenges to being a teen artist today? Or do you think the experience of being a teenager has changed over the last several years?
Katlyn: There have been several challenges for me as a typical teenager that involve friends and clichés. Luckily for me, I’ve focused on my work and creativity because it’s what I love to do. Photography and art is my gift; it’s in my blood.

Nanci: Society has changed! Growing up in a world of instant everything makes for a different type of generation. However, the core of teenage life is still relatively the same. Creating an identity, fitting in, falling in love – it's all the same, just posted on Facebook.

AYAW: Katlyn, has receiving recognition and/or a scholarship from the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers changed your future plans in any way? How so?
Katlyn: Yes, let me tell you a small story. I received a big white packet from the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers that said: “Open immediately!” The letter said that I had won a national Gold Medal for Twilight. I was so excited that I called my ASL interpreter! It did change my future plans because I figured out what I want for my career and my future. I‘m proud of myself for all the hard work. My artwork is my life and my future.

Photo credit: Twilight. Katlyn Cruz. Gold Medal, Digital Art. 2010 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards.

An Intern's Trial by Fire during The Art & Writing Awards

2010-06-24T15:38:00.004-04:00

“Sorry this office looks like a bomb went off in the middle of it. It’s just that time of year,” my supervisor said to me on my first day working at the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers. My junior year at Amherst College had ended just two weeks earlier, but the time for summer relaxation had already passed. My internship with the Alliance began on June 1st, and the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards Ceremony at Carnegie Hall was only 8 days away. There was a lot of work to be done, and the whole “It’s only my first week” excuse wasn’t going to pull any weight around the office.

There wasn’t any “typical” day in the week leading up to Carnegie Hall. The one thing I noticed almost immediately was all of the boxes lying around the office. I had an uneasy feeling that these boxes weren’t there for decoration, which most likely meant they needed to be moved. Indeed, the next week and a half I found myself lugging boxes all over the office and Manhattan. They were generally filled with things that were needed to set up registration, the awards ceremony, and the workshops that took place the day after Carnegie. Catalogues, art supplies, flyers, signs; a lot of what makes this event run so smoothly can be found in boxes.

I was also sent on missions by the Alliance into Midtown, SoHo, and the Financial District to distribute postcards for the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards Teen Exhibition at the World Financial Center. (Side note: the exhibition is still going on! It will be on open until June 25th from 12-4pm, Tuesday through Saturday). This was an amazing opportunity for me, seeing as I’ve never lived in New York. Growing up in Cleveland and attending college in Massachusetts, I didn’t really know the city well at all. Advertising for the exhibition gave me a chance to see the city and spread the word about our amazing event.

The actual day of Carnegie was filled with numerous miscellaneous tasks, such as setting up for the reception and photocopying the VIP guest list. When the doors actually opened at Carnegie, I could distinctly sense the excitement hidden within the hearts of the Alliance staff. Their level-headed collectiveness was betrayed by contagious grins and wide eyes. The staff had worked hard all year to make this happen, and I was honored to be a part of it (even if I had only been on board for a week). The sense of accomplishment I felt must have been nothing compared to that of the full-time Alliance workers.

The majority of my day was spent doing crowd control, which was both stressful and rewarding. It was great to see all the smiling faces of the award-winners, not to mention the proud parents. Kids and adults alike all understood how special it was to win an award from the Alliance, and their unadulterated joy made the long week of work feel like it had a purpose. After a busy night of directing crowd traffic and leading important partners to the elevator, the awards ceremony was over. All that was left was the celebratory reception, a time for us all to kick back and enjoy the success of the event. I found that I needed to take a moment around 10pm (after the reception was over) just to take it all in.

The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards Ceremony has come and gone for this year, but that doesn’t mean we have permission to spend the rest of the summer patting ourselves on the back. I’m glad I got to dive headfirst into this internship, and I’m excited to see where we go from here.

-Rick Morgan

Scholastic Art & Writing Novel Winners Announced!

2010-06-22T17:11:00.004-04:00

Congratulations to the winners of this year’s Scholastic Art & Writing Awards in the novel category! We are pleased to announce that, out of 700 entries, there were 2 National Gold Medal winners, 3 National Silver Medal winners, and 14 Regional Gold Keys awarded. The two Gold Medalists each have the opportunity to intern at Scholastic with a chance to publish their novels.
Writing a novel is an amazing accomplishment. The Alliance for Young Artists & Writers commends all of the young novelists who participated in The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards of 2010.

Gold Medal Winners
Kate Coursey
Cecilia Meserve

Silver Medal Winners
Alisa Choin
Courtney Cook
Jermaine Simpson

Gold Key Winners
Amani Al-Khatahtbeh
Grace Alvino
Olivia Ball
Fraser Brown
Max Cohen
Hannah Fattor
Sage Hadley
Ariel Katz
Hannah Lamarre
Loreal Lingad
Elizabeth McClure
Alexa Pellegrini
Bridget Smith
Zoë Webb

Advice from the Other Side: 5 Great Graduation Speeches

2010-06-21T11:33:00.013-04:00

It’s that time of year when seniors across the country are preparing for graduation, hearing back from the colleges they’ve applied to and making plans for the future. Graduation may feel like an overwhelming rite of passage, but soon you’ll find yourself on the other side. In the meantime, there is one thing you can rely on: sappy graduation speeches. Though we can’t be there ourselves to watch you sashay across the stage, we hope you’ll take to heart these inspiring, and sometimes humorous, words of wisdom. Life can be confusing and uncertain, but here are the best attempts to explain everything.

J.K. Rowling Speaks at Harvard Commencement from Harvard Magazine on Vimeo.

J.K. Rowling’s Harvard graduation speech about her fears from days as an aspiring novelist and single mother, with emphasis on the importance of imagination and failure.

Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple, on how life, expectations and Chinese brush painting inspired his empire.

Ellen Degeneres, comedian, shares her experiences on living in the closet and musings on “common cement” with Tulane University in her hometown of New Orleans.

Davis Sedaris, to the Princeton graduating class of 2006, on embarrassing his parents to death.

Dr. Maya Angelou's inspirational and stirring poem to Kean University's graduating class of 2009.

What A Week!

2010-06-16T15:31:00.002-04:00

Last week was spectacular! Not only did we honor 15 Portfolio Gold Medalists and over 600 students at the Carnegie Hall Award Ceremony, but a record-breaking 1,362 people attended the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards Teen Exhibition opening reception at the World Financial Center’s Courtyard Gallery. Workshops took students and teachers to video game studios, panels with editors and writers, tours of magazines like Rolling Stone and behind-the-scenes visits to major museum collections. As one student reported: “It has changed my life even more than I had planned, and I don't know how I would live without such a wonderful once in a lifetime experience such as this."

While we celebrated the amazing talent of thousands of young artists and writers, it was the collaboration and strong partnerships that helped make a difference in the lives of this year’s recipients. On behalf of the staff of the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers, we’re thankful for our partners, funders, affiliates, teachers and friends whose generous support of the 2010 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards Ceremony made it all possible.

For those that were not able to make the event, here’s a quick snap shot of what happened and interviews with some of our Award-winning students and teachers. Stay tuned for photos from the event!

2010 Winners Wish America Good Morning on Good Morning America

2010-06-14T13:31:00.005-04:00

Last week, several Award-winning students got up at the crack of dawn on Thursday, June 10th to wait outside of ABC studios and wish America good morning on, well, Good Morning America! The crowd of winners included 15 Gold Portfolio Award-winning students, who received educational cash awards of $10,000.

Staff Message from Virginia McEnerney, Executive Director of the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers

2010-06-09T08:34:00.003-04:00

Today is like a graduation, commencement, birthday, anniversary and festival rolled into one. This is the most exciting time of year here at the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers, as we welcome Scholastic Award winning teens along with their parents and teachers to New York City for our National Celebration. These remarkable students have distinguished themselves as the most creative and innovative teens in America through their bold accomplishments in art and writing. Tonight, they will take a bow at Carnegie Hall—the most celebrated stage in the nation—where they will be recognized as a member of a select group of our nation’s most promising visionaries.

For 87 years, The Scholastic Awards have provided a platform for creative teens, and the 2010 winners join an impressive roster of past winners, including Richard Avedon, Truman Capote, Sylvia Plath, Robert Redford, Andy Warhol, Joyce Carol Oates and the accomplished alumni we are honoring this year, the artist Mel Bochner and the poet Carolyn Forché.

While 1,300 students were recognized with Scholastic Awards this year, over 75,000 more submitted work to the program. We know it takes courage, determination and drive to prepare a submission and to put creative work before a panel of professionals for evaluation. When Maurice R. Robinson started The Awards in 1923, he had a vision:
“To give those high school students who demonstrate superior talent in things of the spirit and of the mind at least a fraction of the honors and rewards accorded to their athletic classmates for demonstrating their bodily skills.”

It is in this tradition that we continue to work with arts, education and community leaders across the country to provide opportunities for recognition, exhibition, publication and scholarships for young artists and writers who display exceptional talent.

To all of the students who applied this year, we hope you will continue to stay engaged, nurture your skills and follow your passions.

Lights, camera - action!

2010-06-04T16:49:00.002-04:00

Attention all New Yorkers: tune in to local PBS station WNET/Thirteen's SundayArts news segment to catch the television debut of the 2010 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards Teen Exhibition! Our dynamic exhibition features the work of 2010 Scholastic Award recipients and honors the 87 year legacy of The Awards. SundayArts is a weekly series through which art enthusiasts everywhere can access the city's cultural best (next week, that's us!)

If you miss it, or you live outside of the New York City metropolitan area, take a peek at our television close-up, available Monday 6/7, at: http://www.thirteen.org/sundayarts/news.

'Twas the Week Before Carnegie

2010-06-04T10:12:00.009-04:00

’Twas the week before the Carnegie Award Ceremony, and all through the nation,
Teen artists and writers were waiting in anticipation.
Medals gold and silver were hung in the Alliance’s offices with care,
In hopes that the next generation of Warhols and Plaths would soon be there.

These teachers and teens had worked hard, in studios and classes,
For the moment when they would stand on stage before masses.
At the June 9 ceremony itself, there would be readings, performances and speeches quite witty;
And the entire day would belong to The Awards (as proclaimed by the Mayor of New York City!)

That very night, the Empire State Building would be lit all in gold,
In honor of creative achievement, for the entire city to behold.
At the World Financial Center, the national exhibition of student art and writing would be installed to perfection,
And 5PM on Thursday June 10 would be the opening reception.

So this week, as Award-winning teachers and students sleep snug in their beds,
While visions of book deals and art sales dance in their heads;
None waits more happily than the Alliance staff for the joy, the smiles and even the sobs;
We’re especially grateful to these teens and these teachers, for it’s because of them that we have jobs.

Come Face to Face with This Year's Scholastic Art & Writing Award Recipients!

2010-06-02T12:18:00.006-04:00

Every year we bring you the works of some of the freshest teen artists and writers in the country through exhibitions, publications and our own online gallery. Now, for the first time ever, we wanted to introduce you to the artists and writers themselves. Meet the people behind the images and stories right here, as our 2010 Scholastic Art & Writing Award recipients share their inspirations, unique fashion choices and even some signature dance moves.

Guest Blogger Artist Mara Sprafkin Guides us through Her Creative Process

2010-05-27T09:42:00.005-04:00

So far, I have over 100 photos of keys.

Back in February, the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers asked me to make an original piece for the 2010 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards Teen Exhibition at the World Financial Center. Their only guidelines: “Make something that can fit into a 24” vitrine and think around the theme of a gold key.” I use gold acrylic paint very often in my work so of course I couldn’t pass up the perfect opportunity to paint in gold. But what to create?

At the time, I was also working on a large-scale piece for a show in Maine that will be in a large glass room (vitrine) that is 12’ square. For me, it’s easier to think bigger than smaller, so I had a hard time imagining what I might make. But after several ideas, I decided to use the opportunity to make a book. I love artist books and a 24” vitrine seemed like a pretty good place to show one off!

My first step was to send an email to friends and family asking them to take digital photos of their keys. Some people went above and beyond, sending back pictures of their own keys and also the keys of their co-workers and family members. Some photos were MUCH BETTER than others, but when you leave your guidelines and requests pretty open, you get what you get.
After receiving images, the next step was to compile and edit the photos and print them all out on a bright pink cardstock paper that I had had kicking around my studio. I have been itching to find a use for this paper for a while now so I am very happy to have found a life for it.

I’m now in the painting stage of this project. I’m painting all the keys that I printed onto the pink card stock in that acrylic gold paint. It’s a tedious process because the keys are all different sizes and sometimes I need to put on several layers of gold paint to get an opaque effect. I imagine I’ll be painting keys for the next few weeks. And while I paint the keys, it will give me time to think about the next step.

You might be surprised, but I haven’t yet figured out what I’ll do with all of the keys once they‘re painted. Artist books are wonderful because they tend to be less like a conventional book that you might find on the shelf in your home or at your local bookstore or library. But I don’t know yet if or how I will bind the pages together in to a more traditional book or even how the piece will get displayed in its vitrine at the World Financial Center. I always think this one of the fun parts of the creative process: letting the project start to move in a direction slightly different than I had initially envisioned.

This year’s national Scholastic Art & Writing Awards Teen Exhibition will feature work by 2010 national recipients as well as past Award winners from the last 70 years. Mara Sprafkin is a New York City-based printmaker and installation artist who won an award in 1996. More than ten years later, we asked her to make an original piece around the theme of a gold key. Learn more about her creative process here:

Sharpie: Mara Sprafkin from Paul Handler on Vimeo.

The Secret Origins of Our Regional Affiliate Network

2010-05-25T10:36:00.007-04:00

Today's guest blogger, Alliance staff member Kat Hendrix, works with our Regional Affiliates nationwide. Our Regional Affiliates are some of the hardworking people behind The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards - and also an important part of our history.

For the last three years, as the Senior Manager of Affiliate Network & Partnerships, I’ve worked with the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers’ Regional Affiliates across the country. These are the wonderful people that work behind the scenes to make The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards a rewarding opportunity for their communities. They dedicate late nights and weekends to help students and teachers learn about the program, support them in the submission process, convene panels of professional jurors and provide exhibition opportunities and public ceremonies. Their hard work results in thousands of student submissions each year. Today, this robust network encompasses almost 100 organizations, including museums, nonprofits, school systems, newspapers and universities – a big change from the days when the program was run by two people out of an office in Pittsburgh.

The Regional Affiliate Network has a rich, fascinating history. In 1923, The Scholastic Awards were founded in Pittsburgh as a small writing program by a visionary man (and Scholastic Inc.’s founder) Maurice R. Robinson. A few years later, The Awards expanded to include visual arts; in 1928, an exhibition of Award recipients was held at Carnegie Institute’s Fine Arts Galleries. The program grew over time from dozens of entries, to hundreds, to thousands, to tens of thousands. In 1940-41, department stores were invited to sponsor a regional exhibition, and within a few years more than 50 department stores, newspapers, shopping centers and TV stations sponsored regional programs. This enabled thousands more students to participate and expanded the exhibition opportunities to local communities. Through this growing network, the number of people administering the program increased from the 2 or 3 individuals at the Scholastic offices in Pittsburgh to dozens more people across the country associated with a multitude of organizations.

It’s always people behind the institutions that provide the structure to move ambitions forward. In light of that, on behalf of the Alliance staff, we’re sending a big thank you to all of the Regional Affiliates for your daily inspiration and the selfless work that you do on behalf of teenagers with creative talent across the country. Your efforts do not go unnoticed.

If you are interested in learning more about the Regional Affiliate Network of the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers, please contact me at khendrix(at)artandwriting(dot)org.

~Kat Hendrix
Senior Manager, Regional Affiliate Network & Partnerships

Photo, above: Visitors view work on display at student exhibition organized by Fort Wayne, Indiana Regional Affiliate Fort Wayne Museum of Art.

Ned Vizzini Explains It All: Finding Your Voice as A Writer

2010-05-21T16:38:00.015-04:00

Zoe Lynn Asked: Hi! I've read many books by different authors and realized that most of them have very unique voices (for instance, Salman Rushdie, or J.R.R. Tolkien, or T.H. White). By this I don't mean the voices of characters (like Yann Martel in Life of Pi, or just about any good story in the first person), but the narrative voice. When I write, I try out different styles, and I have no idea which I do best. Is it like this for everyone? How do I find my own voice?

Ned Said: Finding a voice in your writing is one of those Zen tasks where the more you try to do it consciously, the further away you get from accomplishing it. Believe me, Salman Rushdie didn't sit down to write Midnight’s Children and think: “I'm going to put on a magical realist voice.” He had a vision for the characters he wanted to write about (and perhaps some reference points from magical realists like Gabriel García Márquez) and he stuck to the voices of those characters. The unique voice that you recognize in Rushdie came out due to the characters, not because the writer made some conscious decision to write in a certain style.

So then, to find your own voice, make sure that you are writing about characters you understand inside and out. Most difficulties in writing can be traced back to character. If you find that your voice is staid, boring or typical, that's probably because the characters you're writing about aren't quite as real as they should be. A real character will make you adopt a unique voice.

Have a question about the writing world? Ask Ned! You can e-mail us at askned(at)artandwriting(dot)org, or you can learn more about Ned at http://www.nedvizzini.com.

Image: Athena. Maximillian Rollins, Grade 12. 2010 Silver Medal. Mixed Media.

Managing The Scholastic Art Awards in Massachusetts....And Wearing Silly Hats

2010-05-19T16:15:00.007-04:00

Every year, individuals who help coordinate The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards in Massachusetts are charged with a unique mission: find the strangest or most outrageous student submission. With almost 60 years of history, these coordinators have seen their share of interesting work!

“Each year we are blessed with all types of unique art works. Some pieces have comedic value. Other work is dramatic and thought provoking,” says Massachusetts Art Region Coordinator Tim O’Connor. "We remember a very unusual portfolio which won a $50,000 Binney & Smith and Scholastic scholarship. It was a series of paintings and sculptures with headless men in black suits - some with bowler hats.” This year, a Medford student created and submitted a sculptural dress using photocopied dollar bills - inspired by the outrageous fashion of pop star Lady Gaga.

The Massachusetts Art Region celebrated its 60th Anniversary this year and has a long history of sponsorship by The Boston Globe. In the early 1990s, teacher Dr. John Michael Gray adopted the program under the auspices of the New England Art Education Conference, Inc. and joined forces with his partner, Tim O’Connor, to co-manage the program. Sixty years later, the region is thriving more than ever with the highest number of submissions in its history this year (10,000 works of art!).

The region has also had a profound impact on art programs in Massachusetts. In secondary schools around the state, quality art work is often referred to as "Globe show work." “In other words, there is a basic correlation between what is thought to be excellent art work and its connection to the Scholastic Art Awards program,” explains O’Connor. “Art programs that have been successful in The Scholastic Awards program continue to receive funding and support.” In addition, thousands of visitors view the annual regional exhibition, and students and teachers are celebrated at a ceremony.

Their favorite part of running the program? “Knowing that we are making a difference in keeping art education alive and well in Massachusetts,” says O’Connor.

During the 2010 National Events, Gray and O’Connor will accept the Excellence in the Field Award, given annually to an outstanding Affiliate for their service to The Awards.

Photo, above: Massachusetts Regional Affiliate Coordinators Dr. John Michael Gray and Tim O'Connor model floral hats.

Meet Our 2010 Alumni Achievement Award Winners: Conceptual Artist Mel Bochner & Poet Carolyn Forché

2010-05-17T13:25:00.009-04:00

If you’re looking for 42 Ways to Say No or want to understand the poetry of witness, look no further than our 2010 Alumni Achievement Award recipients Mel Bochner and Carolyn Forché. But long before joining ranks as some of the most influential figures in the artistic and literary worlds, they were teenagers winning accolades from The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards for their art (Mel Bochner, 1958) and writing (Carolyn Forché, 1967).

Before establishing himself as a leading conceptual artist, painter and writer, Mel Bochner’s first job in New York City was as a museum guard at the Jewish Museum, where he met School of Visual Arts’ Humanities Dean Dore Ashton. Because the school was hiring artists to teach– rather than academics– Ashton encouraged him to apply for a teaching position. Mel Bochner’s 1966 exhibition Working Drawings and Other Visible Things on Paper Not Necessarily Meant To Be Viewed as Art at the School of Visual Arts has been described as the first exhibition of conceptual art. His paintings and installations have been displayed in group and solo shows around the world and explore themes of perception, number systems, color, language, philosophy and art’s capacity to describe feelings and experience.

Carolyn Forché is a poet, human rights advocate and university professor who published her first book of poetry when she was just 24. She has been described as a “poet of witness,” and is the editor of Against Forgetting: Twentieth-Century Poetry of Witness, an anthology of works by poets who have faced imprisonment, exile and war. Her published works include The Angel of History, The Blue Hour and the forthcoming, The Horse on Our Balcony. She has received numerous awards and grants, including fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts. Carolyn currently serves as a professor and the Director of the Lannan Center for Poetry and Poetics at the University of Georgetown in Washington, D.C.

Mel Bochner and Carolyn Forché will be honored this coming June at Carnegie Hall, along with the 2010 recipients of The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards.

Photos: Conceptual artist Mel Bochner and poet Carolyn Forché.

Finger Painting: A Lost Category of The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards

2010-05-12T11:21:00.007-04:00

It’s true that we’ve had some pretty cool categories of The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards over the years, but Finger Painting was probably one of the coolest.

Binney & Smith, the makers of Crayola Crayon, had an office in Easton, Pennsylvania, and sponsored several categories of The Awards including General Design and Finger Painting. During the 1940s, winners were awarded First, Second and Third Prizes for painting with their hands.

Though the Finger Painting category of The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards has been lost to the canvas of time, this noble art has a rich history that goes back to early cave paintings. As early as the 1930s, Finger Painting has been widely used by art educators to introduce young artists to color and painting, and by art therapists in their treatment of patients. Tricks of the trade include using arms, hands, sponges and even toes to paint on a variety of surfaces. A number of artists, including Chuck Close, have even incorporated their own fingerprints into their works. And in addition to being expressive, Finger Painting has been developed as a method of painting for the blind, set world records, inspired an iPad app and can even be edible – just add Jell-O!

Photo credit, above left: AP/Ajit Solanki. Largest Finger Painting in the world, December 2009. Canvas: 100' x 140'.

Research and Ye Shall Find: Scholarship Resources

2010-05-10T10:07:00.021-04:00

It’s almost time for summer! Time to attack your summer reading list, go swimming, attend camp, drive your parents crazy, work on your art, finish your novel, catch up on Jersey Shore…or research scholarships for college. Huh?!

Well, the truth is, college tuition is at an all-time high. But that doesn’t mean it’s out of reach: in fact, every year, millions of dollars of financial aid go unused. In addition to applying to programs like The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, there are tons of other programs and resources to help support a college education. Even if you aren’t a graduating senior this year, it doesn’t hurt to start early and learn more about the resources that are out there. Most scholarships will include an application process and involve deadlines, but the process doesn’t have to be boring. Do some research by a pool, enjoy an hour of air conditioning, sit back and relax with a glass of lemonade, try to find some of the weirdest scholarships you can and think about using some of the following tips and tricks.

That money has to go to someone, so why not you?

A Few Tips For Finding Scholarships:

1. Put Google to work for you. Think about the types of opportunities you want to hear about and subscribe to Google Alerts to send you weekly updates. For example, if you’re thinking about attending an art program in a particular region or for a particular subject, think about key words like “painting scholarship,” “financial aid artists,” or “Boston scholarships.”

2. Beyond grades and academics, what are your hobbies or skills? Do you do a lot of environmental work, knit, write for your school newspaper, volunteer at a local soup kitchen or play a sport? A lot of scholarships are geared towards students involved in specific activities, so don’t rule those out from your search.

3. There are hundreds of scholarships out there, so focus on the ones that you’re best qualified to pursue by creating a list. A targeted search will save you time.

4. Volunteer work may be unpaid, but it can have a valuable payback. Several organizations, such as Americorps, reward volunteers with financial aid scholarships for college; community organizations also frequently offer scholarship opportunities to teen volunteers. Even the Michigan Llama Association offers scholarship opportunities for eligible students.

5. What’s your background? Descendants of almost any ethnic, religious or national background may find specific scholarships geared towards them. There are scholarships for everyone from Armenian to Welsh and scholarships are sometimes available through local churches, mosques, temples and synagogues.

6. Let your teachers know you’re researching scholarships. They may know of other opportunities and this will give you a head start as some scholarship programs require letters of recommendation from teachers.

7. When doing a search on the Internet for college scholarships, try to diversify your keywords. Instead of just typing in “art scholarship,” make a list of different ways to phrase that and enter them as your search terms. Also consider adding words like “award,” “contest,” “competition,” and “resources” – a lot of competitions offer scholarships as a prize.

You never know what you’ll reel in. Happy searching!

Additional Scholarship Sites:
http://www.finaid.org/
http://www.scholarships.com/
http://www.scholarshipmonkey.com/
http://www.collegescholarships.com/

http://www.scholarships4students.com/

Image, above: "Say What?!" Artist: Alyssa White, Grade 12. Painting. 2010 Silver Medal.

Unique College Scholarships for Knitters, Vegetarians, David Letterman Fans and more!

2010-05-04T11:00:00.020-04:00

The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards are a top resource for college-bound artists and writers, but we’re not the only scholarship program out there. There’s a ton of opportunities available if you have a little time and an Internet connection, plus more specialized ones if you’re tall, if you’re a vegetarian or if you speak fluent Klingon. Even your duck calling talents can help you win financial aid for school! Each year, millions of dollars in financial aid goes unused. Here’s a list of some unique college scholarships. Stay tuned for tips on how to identify new opportunities and helpful resources.

Top Picks of Fun and Unusual Scholarships

1. The Chick & Sohpie Memorial Scholarship Duck Calling contests award over $4,000 in scholarships to high school seniors who can demonstrate the four major duck calls in 90 seconds (as ordained by the World’s Championship Duck Calling Contest).

2. Got Milk? The SAMMY (Scholar Athlete Milk Mustache of the Year) Scholarship offers college prizes to scholar athletes with top leadership skills, grades and milk mustaches.

3. The Vegetarian Resource Group Scholarship rewards vegetarians who have demonstrated courage and compassion in the face of carnivorous oppression…or something. Two $5,000 scholarships are awarded to graduating seniors who are committed to promoting a peaceful world through a vegetarian lifestyle.

4. The tall have it all, including the possibility to apply for $1,000 scholarships from Tall Clubs International.

5. Two out-of-this world scholarships caught our eye: writers who participate in our science fiction and fantasy category and artists with a flare for the fantastic should take a look at the L. Ron Hubbard Writers and Illustrators of the Future contest. For Star Trek fans with an interest in linguistics, the Kor Memorial Scholarship recognizes and encourages scholarship in fields of language study (knowledge of Klingon helpful but not required).

6. The American Sheep Industry Association sponsors the National Make it Yourself with Wool Competition – with cash awards for works of art produced with wool. To learn about this year’s winners, click here.

And don’t forget to take a look at more strange and unusual scholarships here. Remember, being unique doesn’t only make you special…it can also make you eligible for financial aid for college!

Photo, above: Dowlde Sports Inc. Instructional CD: "The Art of Duck Calling," B.C. Dowdle.

2005 Scholastic Award Winner Abdi Farah Paints a New Reality for Young Artists on New Reality Show

2010-04-26T09:57:00.010-04:00

Move over aspiring divas, chefs, fashionistas, business execs and Jersey shore beach bums – visual artists finally have their own TV show. Coming this June, 2005 Scholastic Art Portfolio Gold winner Abdi Farah will star as the youngest contestant in BRAVO’s new reality series, Work of Art: The Next Great Artist.

And as a recent grad of the University of Pennsylvania’s fine arts department, Farah was no stranger to the late hours, fast deadlines and creative problem solving that reality TV competitions demand. His skills encompass a variety of media including sculpture, cartooning, printmaking, illustration and painting, which promise to make him a competitive contestant in the upcoming series. But the experience will definitely put his creativity to the test as he competes for a $100,000 prize and a solo show at the Brooklyn Museum against 13 other artists, whose backgrounds include film, architecture, photography, sculpture, digital art, performance art and mix-media.

Each episode will challenge the contestants to make a unique piece of art using a different medium with a panel of established art curators and critics judging the works. Guest appearances will include Sarah Jessica Parker and weekly celebrity judges such as mix-media artist Jon Kessler and photographer Andres Serrano.

No stranger to competitions, Abdi Farah draws inspiration from artists like Jean-Michel Basquiat, Hieronymous Bosch and Fred Astaire; his works depict compelling themes exploring identity, current events, historical references, religion – and even a series portraying the current President of the United States in outer space. His work has been exhibited in several cities including two Scholastic Awards exhibitions at the Diane von Furstenberg Gallery (New York City, 2005) and Corcoran Gallery of Art (Washington D.C., 2004).

So, mark your calendars for Wednesday, June 9: Stop by Carnegie Hall to attend The 2010 National Awards Ceremony, check out the Empire State Building lit in gold in honor of The Scholastic Awards, and then get home by 11pm to check out the debut of Work of Art: The Next Great Artist on BRAVO.

See some of Abdi Farah’s work here, or check out this recent interview by Esu Magazine to learn more about his creative process.

Photo: Abdi Farah. Copyright Bravo TV, 2010.

It IS Easy Going Green....Being creative and Earth-friendly

2010-04-22T10:38:00.010-04:00

In honor of Earth Day, here are a few green-friendly tips from the Alliance’s Project Administrator, Nicole....

Earth Day, on April 22, is my favorite day of celebration (in addition to Scholastic Art & Writing Awards day!). Here at the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers I took on the role of implementing green methods to make The Awards an environmentally friendly competition.

As young adults developing your talent in visual arts and writing, there are many ways that you can make an impact. Going green is not just about recycling and changing to CFL light bulbs. There are art suppliers out there that proudly offer products that enable an artist to be creative without causing environmental strife. One great example is Rex Art. They have collected the environmentally friendly, sustainable products available in the art supply industry and organized them on their website to make shopping for green art supplies easier than ever. Not only are Rex Art’s products made with sustainable materials, but also by using renewable energy. Their pencils are made with Forest Stewardship Council certified wood, which assures consumers that they come from forests that are managed to meet the social, economic and ecological needs of present and future generations. Paints are manufactured in an environmentally responsible manner and do not contain ingredients known to be harmful to humans or the environment. Check out their website for more environmentally friendly product information (www.rexart.com). Other notable green art suppliers are EcoArt Works and Eco-House, Inc.

Writers can contribute to conservation by saving paper, trees and landfill space. For a list of ten great tips to green your writing, such as recycling all paper products, getting into the habit of double-sided printing and more, click here. Additionally, refillable fountain pens are a great way to reduce the amount of plastic thrown in the trash. For writers that only compose on a computer, remember to shut it off after use. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, though there is a small surge in energy when a computer starts up, it is still much less than the energy used when a computer is running for long periods of time. For energy savings and convenience, consider turning off the monitor if you aren’t going to use your PC for more than 20 minutes, and both the CPU and monitor if you're not going to use your PC for more than 2 hours. The less time a PC is on, the longer it will last. PCs also produce heat, so turning them off greatly reduces the cost of air conditioning.

The tips above are easy to incorporate into your creative practice. Images and words can give immense inspiration and with a little extra effort your art or writing could holistically move mountains (but please leave the mountain top in place!).

Let’s celebrate this Earth Day by going green!

~Nicole McCann

Project Administrator, The Alliance for Young Artists & Writers

Art above, right: Chicago. Artist: Jeff Okerse, 2010 Art Portfolio Silver Award

Casita Maria: Serving Emerging Teen Artists in the Big Apple

2010-04-19T10:06:00.004-04:00

The Bronx has bought us its fair share of artists, writers and cultural phenomena: hip hop, Stanley Kubrick, Jennifer Lopez and Ralph Lauren all hail from this New York City borough. But one of the Bronx’s best kept secrets is the Casita Maria Center for Arts Education, a cultural organization founded in 1934 by Claire and Elizabeth Sullivan, public school teachers and cousins of TV personality Ed Sullivan. Not only does Casita Maria empower over 2,500 members of the community with their education, art and social services, but they also administer The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards for the entire city of New York!

One of the people who make it happen is California transplant Lyla Rose, Casita Maria’s Literary, Visual and Performing Arts Manager. “I‘ve always thrived on connecting with creative types, and the students who participate in The Awards remain a constant source of inspiration,” she says. “They refuse to compromise their passion, dedication and resilience.”

As part of her work with Casita Maria to promote the local arts scene, Lyla organizes an exhibition of work from New York City students that have won at the regional level of The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. According to Lyla, “Earlier this year we exhibited some of last year’s work, and the locals and officials who came for our ribbon cutting ceremony and in the months following were incredibly enthusiastic. The quality and vision was so mature and advanced, most couldn’t believe that students had made the art!”

Casita Maria Center for the Arts started out in a small apartment in East Harlem, providing support services for newly arrived immigrant families. After moving to the Bronx in the 1960s, the organization became a cultural mainstay and just last year moved to a new building with state-of-the-art facilities, a gallery, theater and fully equipped studios. Like every Regional Affiliate with the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers, running the program at the local level takes dedication and a lot of outreach, but it’s worth it in the end. “The art panelists engaged in some very lively debate and conversation,” Lyla reports. “The jurors this year included master printmakers, fashion photographers, journalists, internationally published authors and poets. When the jurors read the writing submissions, we heard how touched they were: from their bursts of laughter, to misty eyes.”

Check out Casita Maria’s 2010 New York City Regional Exhibition at the Casita Maria Gallery in the Bronx, 928 Simpson Street, 6th floor from Thursday, April 15th - Friday, May 7th. The Casita Maria Gallery is open to the public Monday – Friday, 9:30AM – 5:30PM.

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The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards - in lights!

2010-04-12T11:42:00.002-04:00

To celebrate the accomplishments of the 2010 National Award winners and to honor the impressive legacy of The Scholastic Awards, the Empire State Building will be lit in gold on the evening of June 9. In addition, Mayor Bloomberg has officially proclaimed June 9, 2010, as The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards Day.

The Mayor and the Empire State Building join the Alliance staff and board in congratulating the nation’s top teen artists and writers!

Presenting...The 2010 National Winners of The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards

2010-04-07T10:34:00.005-04:00

You’ve been waiting, and it’s finally here - (drum roll, please) – we’re thrilled to announce the 2010 National Winners of The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards!

We received over 165,000 submissions to The Awards this year – a record number. Teens from Alaska to Maine submitted poems, plays and personal essays; hats made of paper and birds made from books; and self-portraits in almost every kind of media.

More than 1,300 creative teens received National Gold and Silver Medals, and fifteen Portfolio Gold Medalists earned highly coveted $10,000 scholarships. One of our 2010 Jurors said it best: “Students exhibited great talent and ambition and, most of all, sincerity through their creative process.” Visit our online gallery to view National Works from 2010, selections of which will be on display at the World Financial Center in New York City this coming June.

Congratulations to all the students and teachers who participated. We hope to see more of your creative works in the 2010–2011 program year. Here’s what our friends at Scholastic Inc. had to say about this great achievement!

(Image, above: Kate Humphrey, The Birds, 2010 Gold Medal)

Behind the Scenes: An Inside Look at 2010 Video Game Design Competition

2010-04-05T16:25:00.006-04:00

This year, we added a new category of video game design. Alliance for Young Artists & Writers Web Producer Dominic Matar reported from scene of this year's first ever video game adjudication at E-Line Ventures in New York City....

Perhaps one of the most exciting additions to The Awards this year was our new category for video game design. When we launched the category last year, we wagered bets on how many submissions we would receive. In the end, the total was just over 100 games, submitted on story boards and in playable formats.

The judging session convened on Thursday, March 18, at E-Line Ventures’ headquarters in Manhattan, twenty stories high and overlooking Penn Station. Games ranged from epic, fantastical tales to eco-friendly inspired renditions. The breadth and quality of the submissions was immediately apparent, and the pace was soon set for a long day of animated discussions. Judging continued for the entire afternoon and even carried on into the following day. The judges remarked upon the level of sophistication and depth of the entries, as well as the difficulty of having to choose only a handful of winners.

Winners will be announced to the public on April 7 and will be invited to Carnegie Hall to accept Gold and Silver medals. Two top students will receive $1,000 awards each, as well as a stipend of $2,500 to attend a summer pre-college program in video game design, and a laptop from our generous sponsor, AMD Foundation.

Congratulations to the winners for standing out among fierce competition, and to all the entrants for your remarkable and inspired creative work. The 2010 judging is over, but your careers are just beginning, and we know there are many bright futures ahead!

Special thanks to E-line Ventures for their incredible assistance and to AMD for their generous support of the category.

Learn From the Best

There were two themes that came back again and again in the discussions. We wanted to share them with you, as they often became deciding points:

- "If we could only pair up this graphic artist with this programmer and that conceptual artist!"

Video Game creation, like filmmaking, is an intensely multi-disciplinary art form. You have a whole world to create and multiple storylines to develop, and you can take it as far as you want with sights, sounds, abilities, rules, twists and turns, all the way down to the presentation.

Major games, like films, are made by teams - sometimes armies - of people. Look around you to find the skills that complement yours and talents that challenge yours. Collaborating can be as challenging as it can be fun, but finding a few good collaborators can change your art and your life!

- "This game reminds me too much of... "

There's a fine line between being creating a work that is inspired by another game, versus one that is derivative of it. Technical skill can be impressive, but remember what the judges look for, and keep in mind that originality and personal vision/voice represent 2/3 of their criteria.

Mark your calendars now for the 2011 Awards—registration opens October 1, 2010.

Archive Pick of the Month: Judging Cartoons in the 1940s

2010-04-01T09:54:00.018-04:00

Their matching bowties landed Cy Hungerford and Ralph Reichhold as this month’s pick from our archives. Both Reichhold and Hungerford were local cartoonists with Pittsburgh newspapers when they evaluated submissions in the Cartooning category of The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards in this shot from the 1940s.

Newspaper editorial cartoonist and past Scholastic Art Awards juror Cyrus Cotton (“Cy”) Hungerford never left home without a hat. A 1950 newspaper article profiling him revealed the secret behind his protective fedoras: “Cy's bald head is never uncovered. He began wearing his hat in the city room after he fell asleep one night and a prankster painted a smiling face on his hairless head. Cy was the only one who couldn't see the paint.”

Reichhold was a staff cartoonist whose witty observations on Miss America pageants, fashion and news amused local readers of The Pittsburgh Press for years. In one 1935 editorial cartoon, “Our Fine Feathered Friends,” Reichhold observed some of that spring’s latest trends and identified the feathered hats he saw on the street as “The Boomerang,” the “Helicopter,” and “M-o-o-o-o-o.” He noted: “There must be a reason for the use of feathered millinery. But a man would be inviting mayhem if he asked the feminine wearer what the answer could be.”

Cy Hungerford produced daily editorial cartoons for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and was the recipient of numerous awards over the course of his 65-year career (1912 – 1977). In addition to editorial cartoons, Hungerford also produced defense posters for World War II and a syndicated comic script called Snoodles. Cy's advice on producing cartoons? "You can't preach. Bitterness and viciousness defeat their own purpose. Make people smile and think while they're smiling… The idea that comes quick is the true one.”

Our archives tell more than the story of The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards – as we continue to sift through our past records, we’re rediscovering a unique part of American history, one slide, photograph, manuscript and letter at a time. You can follow our archival treasure hunt with our new series, The Archive Pick of the Month.

Message from Our Staff!

2010-03-29T10:03:00.012-04:00

At the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers we’re currently wrapping up judging for the 87th annual National Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. This year, more than 165,000 works of art and writing were submitted by students from across the country. In late February, we received 11,000 Gold Key works to be reviewed on the national level. After all the judging is complete, The Awards will bestow approximately 1,300 students with national honors.

For the last seven years that I’ve worked with the Alliance I’ve been amazed by the quality of both the visual art and writing.

The work humbles me: It is stunning, sophisticated and masterful. My personal favorite categories are the Art and Photography Portfolios. The portfolio is a unified body of eight works that represent a graduating senior’s best pieces and also demonstrates originality, technical skill and personal vision. Sixteen years ago, I prepared my own Scholastic Awards art portfolio entry as a high school senior. I remember the difficult time I had choosing my eight artworks and even creating a self portrait, the last piece, at the 11th hour. I was lucky enough to get a National Silver Medal that year—an accomplishment that changed my life. Now on the other side of the desk, I’m thrilled to be a part of the program that gave me my “first break” in the art world.

As I listened to the judges' comments about each student piece, I thought about the amount of time, energy and creative genius that was poured into all of the Scholastic Awards submissions. It takes dedication and courage to put your work in front of professional artists and writers, especially from the NYC arts and literary scenes! This year’s national panelists included Awards alumni Kay WalkingStick, Mara Sprafkin and Ned Vizzini as well as acclaimed art professionals Tony Kushner, Joel Meyerowitz, Madison Smartt Bell, the comedian Paula Poundstone, Roger Cohen, John Leland from The New York Times, and renowned TV journalists Lesley Stahl and Peggy Noonan.

The National Award winners of The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards will be announced to the public on April 7, so be sure to visit our website http://www.artandwriting.org/ to see a list of the winners and a selection of the National Award-winning art and writing. I’m sure you’ll be impressed and inspired by the work of our nation’s most talented emerging young artists and writers.

Alex Tapnio
Senior Manager, National Programs

Supporting Young Artists and Writers and Playing....Ping Pong?

2010-03-24T16:08:00.007-04:00

It inspired the world’s first commercially successful video game, and has been credited with helping to ease tensions between the United States and People’s Republic of China during the 1970s. Ping Pong’s noble origins are probably why we chose Spin NYC, a table tennis club, as the site of our spring “friend raiser.”

Most people have heard of fundraisers. A fundraising event can be anything from a school bake sale, a performance, a dinner or even a party – anything that involves gathering donations or support for a particular cause. But nonprofits need more than just donations – just as important is all the encouragement we get from volunteers and supporters who want to get involved and who believe in our mission as much as we do. So a “friend raiser” or cultivation event is what nonprofits like us do to get to know more people, tell them about our cause and reconnect with old friends.

And while we love to talk about our mission (which for this evening also included playing a few rounds of table tennis) to encourage teen artists and writers, we also like to see people have a good time. Alumna Hannah Jones (2004) read some 2010 Award-winning work, singer-songwriter and former Alliance Affiliate Coordinator Grace McLean wrote a song inspired by The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, and even Susan Sarandon also stopped by to say hello.

Photo credits: Dominic Matar/Matt Boyd

Art Teacher, Regional Affiliate and Amateur Ax Thrower Promotes Local Artists In Portland, Oregon

2010-03-22T14:43:00.008-04:00

Our Regional Affiliate in Portland, Oregon and full-time art teacher Shannon McBride likens the development of young artists to training a little league baseball team. “If we develop a strong little league team, we are going to have an amazing baseball team in the future,” she says. “Junior and high school students are just beginning to create a sense of self. I want them to believe in their creative selves, to cultivate their inner artists. I told the jurors this year that these students represent our ‘little league team.’ ”

Since Shannon and the volunteer-run Oregon Art Education Association took over the local Scholastic Art & Writing Awards program five years ago, it’s seen incredible growth: from 300 submissions in its first year to over 3,000 submissions from over 1,180 students in 59 different schools this year. Oh, and did we mention Shannon is also an amateur axe thrower?

As a Regional Affiliate with the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers, Shannon is responsible for processing student submissions, organizing panels of professional artists to judge the work, supporting her fellow teachers and coordinating exhibitions and ceremonies for the Award-winning students in her region. The exhibition of Award-winning student art is hosted annually at the Pacific Northwest College of Art , and they report that it’s one of their most popular events of the year. Student artwork tackles a range of themes from identity, current events, imagination and real-life experience. Shannon recalls a simple but powerful concept piece she saw during this year’s adjudication – a piece of white paper ripped out of a spiral notebook. “At first glance, it was nothing special, until you realize that the student had documented their experience with a grandmother who had Alzheimer’s. The piece represented 30 days of writing, erased one day at a time, then gessoed over and started again - very powerful.”

Though the demands of administering a local awards program as a volunteer can be challenging, Shannon says, “When I get discouraged I think about all the student artists. I think about the moms that ride three buses to come to the reception to see their child's art work, and the tears of joy when a student receives a scholarship that will allow them to pursue their artistic dreams, and the students’ faces the night of the reception, the pride, the excitement.”

In addition to support from the Alliance and Oregon Art Education Association, the program has also been able to grow with support from corporate sponsors. “Ovation TV was a huge part of our success this year. We received 12 $200 gift cards to give to our teachers. To know that there are companies out there that ‘get it’ and then show that appreciation to teachers and students is a blessing.”

Past students from Shannon’s region have gone on to pursue degrees and creative careers in the arts, and one is even a back-up dancer with pop star Lady Gaga. So what does the future look like for this year’s students? “The recognition they receive from The Awards is immeasurable and most of the time intangible. I've been teaching for 21 years. I believe in the power of this program, and it’s made a profound impact on the way I teach and what I teach; it challenges me as an educator to raise the bar, work harder.”

To see more artwork from Portland, Oregon, visit their online gallery.

Though the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers is a nonprofit organization based in New York City, we work with 96 Regional Affiliates around the country to run The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards state by state. These affiliates include newspapers, libraries, nonprofit organizations and art centers.

Scholastic Award-winning Siblings Start Band

2010-03-16T15:01:00.003-04:00

It’s true that alumni of The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards come from all creative walks of life – we’ve got painters, writers, photographers, poets, video game designers, journalists, teachers and even a handful of lawyers and scientists. But if there’s one question we commonly hear, it’s: “I won an Award! What do I do now?”

For Mary-Kate Lee and three of her Scholastic Award-winning brothers and sisters, the answer was simple: start a Celtic folk band. Bands as diverse as the Allman Brothers, Beach Boys, the Kinks, the Pointer Sisters, Hanson, Radiohead, Van Halen and the Jackson 5 all hail from sibling roots, and musical families have been the subject of TV shows and movies. But Seasons enters the scene as the first sibling band we’ve heard of composed entirely of Scholastic Award winners.

The group was started almost five years ago by Lee siblings Peter Winter, Mary-Teresa, Mary Kate and Mary-Grace, who perform for churches, weddings, coffeehouses and even the Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire and Appalachian Brewing Company. Music includes vocals, harp, hammered dulcimer, the mandolin, percussions and the penny whistle. The group has released two albums (Eventide Lullaby and Which Way to Dublin Town) and are hard at work composing original music for their third. Both albums have sold internationally and been reviewed by national publications. In addition to performing their own music, they've also been known to play selections from Lord of the Rings, Cold Play, Johnny Cash and Bach.

When Mary-Kate Lee isn’t writing new songs or performing, she still spends a good deal of time writing. She reports that in addition to working on a collection of short stories, she has her first novel in the works, and she recently won a writing competition that landed her short short story, Berceuse, in Central Pennsylvania Magazine. She reports: “I can say, as a professional musician and writer, that my life's course would not be the same without my experience in Scholastic Art & Writing Competition. What a boost in confidence, and a thrill to have my hard work recognized.”

Mary-Kate continues to balance her musical life with her writing. For her, the question isn’t “what can I do now?” but “what can’t I do?” Whether it’s a novel or a Celtic band, the possibilities are endless.

See Seasons' cover of Coldplay's Clocks - with two djembe accompanists - here.

New Grant Boosts Video Game Category of The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards!

2010-03-10T09:44:00.000-05:00

When acrylic painting was added to The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards in the 1950s, it was described as a “groundbreaking new technology.” Over the years we’ve added new categories – think Computer Graphics in the ‘90s – and this program year, for the first time ever, we invited aspiring teen video game designers to submit work to The Awards. We’re thrilled to announce a grant in support of the video game category from our newest partner, AMD Foundation. What does this mean for students and teachers? Scholarships, outreach, workshops and more!

Our new partnership with AMD Foundation will help teens in grades 7-12 learn or improve their skills in game design and development by bringing together students, teachers and industry professionals around the country with interactive workshops. Students (and their mentors!) can learn more about the creative process, tools and technologies involved with creating a working, playable game. Plus, we’ll have more cash and scholarship awards for college and summer programs.

Increasingly, educators, businesses, researchers and developers have been investing in video games as educational tools, and leading the way are companies like AMD with initiatives such as Changing the Game. But what it’s really all about is giving people the tools to build their own virtual worlds, share their work with others and learn a little bit about science, technology, education and math along the way. We say we’re all about creativity, art and writing – and those just happen to be key ingredients in making a good game. Next year, we expect to receive 700 submissions to our video category. Bring it on, and stay tuned for the results of this year’s national winners!

You can learn more about our new partnership here.

Archive Pick of the Month: Frances Farmer, The "Bad Girl" of West Seattle High

2010-03-05T10:08:00.007-05:00

Decades before entertainers like Madonna and Lady Gaga became poster girls for outrageous behavior and bizarre fashion choices, high school senior and later actress Frances Farmer had earned national notoriety and the nickname “The Bad Girl of West Seattle High” for her writing. And apparently, she wasn’t terribly fond of wearing hats, either.

Frances Farmer was a 17 year-old senior at West Seattle High when her English teacher submitted her essay God Dies to a national contest sponsored by The Scholastic. Though the title was controversial, the writing impressed the judges and the essay was published in the May 1932 issue of the magazine. She wrote:

"After slamming through the house, panicky and breathless from searching, I could stop in the middle of a room and shut my eyes. ‘Please God, let me find my red hat with the blue trimmings.’ It usually worked. God became a super-father that couldn't spank me. But if I wanted a thing badly enough, he arranged it. That satisfied me until I began to figure that if God loved all his children equally, why did he bother about my red hat and let other people lose their fathers and mothers for always?"

The essay’s title inspired angry letters and town hall meetings, and newspapers around the country published headlines such as Seattle Girl Denies God and Wins Prize.

But Farmer didn’t stop there. In 1935, as a drama student at the University of Washington, Farmer won a trip to the Soviet Union (much to the outrage of her mother) sponsored by the left leaning newspaper, The Voice of Action. Farmer later reported that the trip was a means to an end: on her way back from Russia, when landing in New York, she exchanged her ticket back to Seattle for a rented room in the city. She landed an agent and a contract with Paramount Pictures not long after, which set the stage for her film career in Hollywood’s Golden Age.

But trouble had no trouble finding the newly signed actress. Shortly after joining Paramount she was called into a serious meeting with the studio’s talent coach to discuss her “unglamorous” behavior. In addition to not wearing a hat on the street, her shoes and raincoat were also less than fashionable. “The movie fans expect more of their favorites,” she was told. Her response to the management was sharp: “I've never seen anybody from the head office so I wouldn't know how to get in, but will you go up there and give them a message from me? Will you tell them that if they paid as much attention to the parts they give their actresses as they do to their clothes, we'd probably both make a lot more money?"

Frances Farmer was best known for films such as Rhythm on the Range (1936) and Come and Get It (1936) and numerous theater productions. Her later career was troubled with arrests and institutionalization for mental illness, but since her death in 1970 of cancer, she has inspired books, songs (including Kurt Cobain’s Frances Farmer Will Have Her Revenge on Seattle), a loyal following of fans and even a Facebook Page.

Our archives tell more than the story of The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards – as we continue to sift through our past records, we’re rediscovering a unique part of American history, one slide, photograph, manuscript and letter at a time. You can follow our archival treasure hunt with our new series, The Archive Pick of the Month.

Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award

2010-01-15T14:26:00.009-05:00

Here is an exciting opportunity for young writers who have been working on their long form fiction:

Hunt for the Next Popular Novel is on!

The Alliance for Young Artists & Writers is pleased to promote the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award, presented by our sponsor Amazon.com. Amazon.com, along with Penguin Group (USA) and CreateSpace, announces the third annual international competition seeking the next popular novel. For the first time, the competition will award two grand prizes: one for General Fiction and one for Young Adult Fiction. The 2010 competition will also now be open to novels that have previously been self-published. Each winner will receive a publishing contract with Penguin, which includes a $15,000 advance.

Visit www.amazon.com/abna to learn more and apply.

Gallery of this year's national Award-winning Artists...

2009-11-30T12:42:00.007-05:00

This year’s art submissions blew us away. According to drawing juror Benjamin La Rocco: “The most exciting work delved beneath the surface of technique to deal with identity, either that of the artist or that of the subject.” But don’t just take our word for it. Here’s a sampling of work from some of the United States’ most talented emerging artists, sculptors, designers, printmakers, and painters.

Artwork by emerging teen artists: http://www.adobe.com/flashplayer

Keep checking www.artandwriting.org for an art gallery of more national Award-winning art work, coming soon!

Maybe YOU Can Get Published, Too...

2009-11-13T12:40:00.016-05:00

Reading about Jeanette Anderson and Denise Rickman getting published made us think that maybe it would be good to put together a collection of opportunities for young writers to have their work read by editors.

Remember that each journal recommends that you read an issue before you submit to it. This way, you'll have a better sense of what kind of work the journal or magazine looks for. You don't want to waste your time or the editor's time by submitting to magazines and journals that do not fit your work. By knowing the journal, you'll have a stronger submission!

This is a work in progress, but here are a few we found:

What Peach Student Journal
The Allegheny Review National Undergraduate Magazine
The Albion Review National Undergraduate Magazine
The Blue Pencil Magazine For Young Writers 12-18
The Sun Magazine
Juked Online & Print Journal
Anderbo Online Literary Journal
Debris Literary/Art Magazine
Fifth Wendesday Literary Journal
Dossier Bi-annual Arts and Culture Journal
The Atlantic Student Writing Competition
BOMB Magazine First Proof Pull-Out Issue
Mslexia Journal of Women's Writing
Danse Macabre "Literary Buffet"
New Orleans Review Literary Journal
New Letters Magazine of Art & Writing
Meridian Semi-Annual Publication from The University of Virginia

If you know of any journals or publications that accept submissions, please let us know in the comments or send an email to mcboyd@artandwriting.org.

Thanks!

Jeanette Anderson Gets Published

2009-11-13T11:00:00.008-05:00

2007 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards Silver Medal Portfolio winner, Jeanette Anderson, will be published in issue 44 of the British Literary Magazine, Mslexia. Her poem "Untitled" will be part of the Skin-themed New Writing Section. As a quarterly publication, issue 44 will be available in January 2010. This is her second publication.

While in High School, her poem "Biographical Tenth of a Cento" (which won a Scholastic Art & Writing Awards Silver Medal in 2006) was published in issue 36 of the British Literary Magazine, Magma. Seamus Heaney and Billy Collins were featured in that issue.

Launched in 1999, Mslexia is for "women that write." Mslexia strives to address the difficulty that women face in the publishing world. Mslexia won the Outstanding Contribution to Literature (Magazines) Award in 2006 and was a runner up in 2008. Jeanette has always enjoyed the submission process, despite the prevalent rejection letters. She has been submitting to Mslexia for several years and--at twenty--is so ecstatic that she will be published.

2009 Scholastic Art & Writing Award Recipients recognized in Washington, D.C.

2009-11-03T14:30:00.025-05:00

On a drizzly Washington D.C. morning, about 100 students, parents, teachers, principals, and education professionals gathered at the Department of Education's Lyndon Baines Johnson Building to attend a ribbon cutting for the artwork that will hang there and at the President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities.
The weather did not damper the spirits of those gathered--for the quality of the work on display, the thrill of meeting young artists from across the country, the excitement of hanging on such hallowed walls. Some of the attendees were visiting D.C. for the very first time; some were attending schools a cab ride away.

The 80 or so pieces were selected from the 2009 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards Gold, Silver and American Visions Medal-winning works.
All of the speakers--Tony Miller, Deputy Secretary of Education; Kalpen Modi, Associate Director from the White House Office of Public Liaison; Rachel Goslins, Executive Director of the President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities; Virginia McEnerney, Executive Director of the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers; Wilmer Wilson, former Scholastic Art and Writing Portfolio Gold Award Winner; and Tony Award-winning playwright/musician Stew--spoke directly to the students and encouraged them to continue to trust in the value of creativity.
It was very uplifting, and--regardless of your relation to the students whose art was going on display--you were bound to leave encouraged to return to your pencils, pens, or paint.

Below, find a list of the students whose art will be on display:

The Department of Education, Lyndon Baines Johnson Building

Katie Barron
Sarah Bender
Christine Biles
Jake Borelli
William Brown
Devan Browne
Tim Carroll
Brittany Chavez
Shelby Christenson
Tyler Cline
Kristen Cook
Erin Cox
Marissa Dearing
Nathan Doherty
Brittany Fay
Jennifer Frisco
Gero Gaba
Laura Garland
Alex Goss
Jordan Hauser
Laura Herron
Lesley Jackson
Alyssa Kennamer
Esther Kim
Eileen Klaiklung
Hyun Sue Kwon
Michael Lo
Courtney Loose
Amanda Maduri
Mary Maloczewski
Wendy Marcero
Alina McPherson
Kim Migyn
Taylor Moody
Chunbum Park
Andrea Piekarczyk
Alexandra Sandlin
Tanner Smith
Jacob Sooter
Daye Sung
Haley Thibodeau
Brittany Trimble
Yunhan Xu
Mia Zhang

President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities

Christine Batson
Dylan Bean
John Bevier
Joshua Burke
Yunsang Cho
Kristen Colesanti
Celeste Cordova
Reese Craft
Matthew Davis
Matthew Dohm
Chris Gibson
Ryan Harding
Lindsay Johnson
Lamvy Le
Michael Lombardo
Madison Moore
Cassandra Nguyen
Madeline Pace
Margaret Rose
Kathryn Ryan
Natasha Sadikin
Derek Schell
Deondra Scott
Margarita Seroshtan
Anna Shimshak
Sophia Sweeney
Michi Tamashiro
Lee Thao
Chelsea Thoman
Ryan Tinsley
Ava Ambrose Tomasula Y Garcia
Samantha Travarca
Ian Trupin
Nicole Wageck
Bailey Washburn
Alexis White
Krystal Wilson
Emilee Wooten
Kurt Zhuang

This is an extremely high honor, a testament to the importance of arts in American education. Congratulations!!!

Denise Rickman Gets Published

2009-09-30T13:19:00.018-04:00

2007 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards Gold Medal Portfolio winner Denise Rickman has been published, just two years out from high school. Denise's story appears in Long Story Short: Flash Fiction by Sixty-Five of North Carolina's Finest Writers.
The book was edited by Marianne Gingher. Ms. Gingher is a creative writing professor at The University of North Carolina, whose press published the book. She was inspired to collect examples of flash fiction* after the death of her mentor, the author Max Steele, who directed the UNC creative writing program from 1967 until 1986. In addition to founding The Paris Review with George Plimpton, Steele won the Harper Prize, the Saxton Memorial Trust Award, the Mayflower Cup Award and O. Henry Prizes.

At some point, his stories started getting shorter and shorter, and he began to promote the idea of shorter (and shorter!) stories as a useful means of preserving the clarity of a moment, relationship, proposition, misunderstanding...whatever the focus of your story is. He shared his contention that such a form could free a writer to express him- or herself boldly and economically. There is the famous story of Ernest Hemmingway bragging that he could write a story with just six words...what were they?
"For sale: Baby shoes, never worn." He said it was his best work. Personally, I prefer "The Sun Also Rises", but I guess this is good if you're in a hurry.

Here, you can listen to an episode of "The State of Things" (a public radio program broadcast by The University of North Carolina) where Ms. Gingher and three of the book's contributors discuss "Long Story Short" and flash fiction as a form. At the end, she mentions Denise Rickman and says that she is a natural. Denise "...continues to win all of the mini-max contests. When we have flash fiction contests...she's the winner."

We spoke to Denise to ask what it felt like to be published while still in college, and she was excited. She has enjoyed the literature community at UNC—her professor is Daniel Wallace, author of Big Fish (a novel that was later made into a movie by Tim Burton) and five other books, she has a challenging slate of classes that are broadening her inspirations, and she is a part of several writing workshops that provide critiques from her teachers and fellow students. She feels that this last part of her college education has been the most important, as it has made her a better reader and writer. She told me to not even bother reading the pieces that won her her 2007 Scholastic Art &; Writing Award in the portfolio category, but I did and they are great.

So congratulations to Denise, and keep your eyes open for future works from her.

*Also known as sudden fiction, microfiction, micro-story and postcard fiction.
In The Scholstic Art & Writing Awards we call it "Short Short Story").

Hopefully we won't have a "rap" vs. "hip hop" phenomenon, where using a term that was once in vogue makes you sound like a total Clyde.

Here are some more examples of flash fiction, courtesy of Wired Magazine:

"Failed SAT. Lost scholarship. Invented rocket.
-William Shatner

"Computer, did we bring batteries? Computer?"
-Eileen Gunn

Machine. Unexpectedly, I’d invented a time machine.

- Alan Moore

"It’s behind you! Hurry before it - "
- Rockne S. O’Bannon

"Lie detector eyeglasses perfected: Civilization collapses."
- Richard Powers

"The baby’s blood type? Human, mostly."
- Orson Scott Card

"Kirby had never eaten toes before."
- Kevin Smith

“I couldn’t believe she’d shoot me.”
- Howard Chaykin

"Easy. Just touch the match to -"
- Ursula K. Le Guin

Think you can do better? Post your flash fiction in our comments section.

Stanley Brakhage, Unearthed

2009-08-24T10:50:00.010-04:00

Wikipedia calls Stanley Brakhage "one of the most important figures in 20th century experimental film." He produced his first film at the age of 19, after dropping out of Dartmouth but before he moved to San Francisco to attend San Francisco School of the Arts.

He met a couple of poets who became his friends—Robert Duncan and Kenneth Rexroth—but ultimately moved back East after a couple of unfilling years to focus on his art.
Brakhage moved to New York City and took an apartment with Maya Deren. Among the people he met while living in this apartment was Jonas Mekas, who edited a film magazine and would go on to be an important filmmaker and lecturer in his own right. Mekas championed Brakhage's work, Brakhage's support picked up steam through the 60s, by the 70s he was trying out novel kinds of film for companies like Polaroid, and—in 1981—he became a teacher at the University of Boulder.

The University of Colorado at Boulder is near South High School, where—in 1951, when he had Mr. Keables for an English teacher—"Stan Brakhage" wrote a story that we rediscovered in our archive the other day. It turns out a high school student destined to become one of the most influential avant-garde filmmakers in American history was also an excellent writer.

Cat's Cradle(1959)
Mothlight(1963)
Eye Myth(1972)
Black Ice(1994)

We Adore This

2009-08-24T00:01:00.013-04:00

Dominique Bloink is an illustrator who is 14 years old and has her own production company, Blue Chocolate Designs.

I became aware of her work during the 2009 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards competition, when I proctored the adjudication of the Video & Animation category.

At the national level, each of the regional gold keys is judged by a group of knowledgeable professionals in that particular medium. For the Video & Animation category, we had three directors. We also had a projector, assorted snacks, and unlimited coffee provided by Scholastic, Inc. Someone must be present to move the process along, because—always—the caliber of the work leads to deep consideration, the request to revisit a moment or image, and rather passionate discussion.

If I hadn't been there to call "Time" these people would drop off the face of the earth and their films would never get finished.

Most of the videos that they judges (and I) saw were shockingly-accomplished, technically. Humbling. Likewise, all were—had to be, to make it that far—fresh and thought-provoking. They ran the gamut from taut, wordless vignettes to large-scale feature-length works with big casts and impressive special effects. We barely made it out of the Scholastic building by the end of normal business hours, because the judges were so intent on giving each entry its due consideration.

Ms. Bloink's entry was a music video for the Swedish artist Melpo Mene. I am not exaggerating to say that when it came on—from the first second the hand-drawn title screen flickered to life—everyone's jaws dropped. When it ended, there was a pretty unanimous request to watch it once more.

What we had been given was a perfect pop song accompanying a gorgeous, sometimes-literal, hand-drawn...stop-motion cartoon?

It was something I had not encountered before, unless you count someone like the South African artist William Kentridge. More than just hand-drawn images filmed fast enough to suggest motion, the process was evident in the final product.

While Kentridge includes eraser marks and past action in his pieces, Ms. Bloink lets you see the "special effects" she employs to show...the fingers of a cellist playing a melody, for example. Flowers blossoming and blowing away. Notes flying through the air. Night-time falling.

There is one especially genius bit—as the song makes a pretty dramatic transition from pure, blissful appreciation to darkness as the love sours—where Ms. Bloink uses a title card on...what could be a skewer, to draw attention (again) to the fact that this is not 2-D, flat animation.

It is reminiscent of Godard's Week-End, where the exhortation to "notice the presence of a foreground" is made again and again. In this case, things happen behind a traveling cut-out or above a stationary background.(Obviously, trotting out a Godard reference is bound to inspire a little leeriness. Is it appropriate to say this about an artist of her age? I don't think so.)

I left the room where we held the adjudication, pledging—like everyone else—to walk straight to Other Music to buy a copy of the CD. I did, and was not able to because the CD wasn't available in the United States. A few months later, I went to Melpo Mene's website to find out if the U.S. had gained enough cultural viability to be sold his music...and I found out that he had made Ms. Bloink's creation the official music video for the song.

You can see it for yourself:

Young Artists Awards Has Its Best Summer Ever

2009-08-20T11:20:00.003-04:00

With summer ending, the letters and photos are pouring in from the young artists and writers who took part in the Young Artists Awards program. The Young Artists Awards program helps connect exceptionally gifted teens with summer intensive programs across the country.

We were able to do so much more than we expected because everyone—from parents to teachers to principals to schoolboards to camp directors and community organizers—bent over backwards to help us along. The weeks following our Carnegie Hall awards ceremony were a whirlwind of finding camps, getting applications together, helping to coordinate travel.

Writopia Lab; Buck's Rock Camp; Interlochen; School of the Museum of Fine Arts; School of Visual Arts; Kenyon Review Young Writers Workshop—these arts organizations were especially generous in their assistance. Students who had tons of desire and natural ability were given the chance to explore painting, sculpture, glass blowing, radio production, poetry, creative writing.

Here are some of the pictures the Young Artists class of 2009 sent us.

Complete list of partnering art and writing organizations:

Buck's Rock Camp
California College of the Arts Pre-College Program
Chicago Area Youth Writing Camp
Cranbrook Summer Art Institute
Idyllwild Summer Arts Program
California State Summer School for the Arts Innerspark
Interlochen
Girls Write Now
Kenyon Review Young Writers Workshop
Marie Walsh Sharpe Art Foundation Summer Seminar
Maryland Institute College of Art Summer Pre-College
Parsons The New School for Design Pre-College Academy
Pittsburgh Center for the Arts Summer Art Camp
School of Visual Arts Summer Art Camp
School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston Pre-College Summer Studio
Studio in a School
University of Virginia Young Writers Workshop
Wellesley College Intermediate Explorations Program
Writopia Lab

This year, we hoped to help 20 students find programs that matched their interests—from sculpture and photography to creative writing. We ended up helping 48.

Art Work

2009-08-12T17:44:00.010-04:00

Our art handler, Monica, has been especially busy for the past few weeks, boxing up the 400 or so submissions we must (begrudgingly) return to the 2009 Scholastic Art & Writing Award winners from the New York city region.

It takes about 30 minutes per piece—to check the condition, clean and prepare for poly- and bubble-wrapping, make a custom box, pad the lining, and tape the thing shut. She must then make sure that the address we have on file is correct, and—if it is—print a label and make the trip downstairs to where the UPS truck sits.

The UPS truck gets enough business from our building to merit the daily parking ticket(s) the driver receives from leaving his truck in a No Parking zone.

When all of the entries have been wrapped and shipped, Monica will have spent the equivalent of 9 full days (200 hours) making sure that the artwork we requested is returned safely, and to the right person. She will then move onto the next phase of our season—our traveling exhibition. Hundreds of pieces will be packed into what may eventually turn out to be a semi truck (we are still in the planning stages) and driven to Washington, D.C.

Monica has been working in the arts for several years. She came on board to help with our exhibits at The Brooklyn Museum, Parsons College's Aronson Gallery, and The Prince George Ballroom, but also assists the painter Jacqueline Gaurevitch, and has helped with the installation of works by Claes Oldenburg and David Byrne.

(The David Byrne piece—"Playing the Building"—is, as a matter of fact, where Monica met her boyfriend.

Her boyfriend was working for Todo Mundo, David Byrne's production company.

Their office looks like this, apparently:

Our office does not look this.)

Our office is currently full of boxes.

Monica's workspace is fortified by 7-foot high stacks of them, behind which she expertly wields two different tape guns and a very sharp knife. Her work is at the forefront of everyone's concern, because the submissions we receive are important to us AND her tape guns are very loud.

She works in the arts, and she works on her own art. This is a place a lot of artists hope to be someday, and—because of that—I asked her to describe how she got to where she is.

First, in school, she studied Exhibition Design and worked in the school gallery. She took classes in woodshop and sculpture in addition to her major's coursework. Then, she interned. She says that internships are the way to meet other people who are working in the arts—as framers, packers, installers, etc.—and it's good to have a resume with stellar names on it.

(I saw the interview process for Monica's position, and I can back this up—our Exhibitions Manager, Cole, was more interested in the depth of the applicants' experience than where they went to school. Unless they were from Ohio.)

Eventually, you will get a job.

Once you have one job, you will have a lot of jobs because this side of the arts is as insular as every other side of the arts. "Starving" and/or "isolated" is not the existence you have to expect once you have left art school and entered the professional world—art handlers travel in packs, have secret handshakes, know their kind on sight.

Until you sell something to the Tate, you can make a living in the arts framing, installing, handling, and assisting.

You will get paid to meet and work with other artists. One of these artists may offer to take you out to dinner.

You can touch art without being wrestled to the ground by security.

You will have a never be at a loss for anecdotes involving the intricacies of transporting large inflatable food items.