The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards has an impressive legacy dating back to 1923. Over the years, the Awards have grown to become the longest-running, most prestigious recognition program for creative teens in the U.S., and the nation’s largest source of scholarships for creative young artists and writers. A noteworthy roster of past winners includes Andy Warhol, Sylvia Plath, Truman Capote, Richard Avedon, Robert Redford, Joyce Carol Oates, Stephen King, John Updike, and many more.

Each year, the Alliance partners with more than 100 visual and literary arts organizations across the country to bring The Awards to local communities. Teens in grades 7 through 12 can apply in 28 categories of art and writing for the chance to earn scholarships and have their works exhibited or published. Submissions are juried by luminaries in the visual and literary arts, some of whom are past award recipients. Panelists look for works that best exemplify originality, technical skill, and the emergence of a personal voice or vision.

More than 100,000 students submitted more than 260,000 works of art and writing to the 2023 Scholastic Awards. Gold Key Regional winners compete on the National level for Medalist Awards. Molly and Marshall’s work was selected by some of the foremost leaders in the visual and literary arts for excellence in originality, technical skill, and the emergence of a personal voice or vision. Less than 2,000 works received a National Medal, which places them within the top 1% of all submissions!

Molly Audretch’s (10) piece, “An Upward Glance”, was awarded a Silver Medal, and Marshall Shorten’s Portfolio (12), “Nervous Young Man”, earned a Silver Medal.

An awards ceremony for National Medalists will take place at Carnegie Hall in New York City in June. Congratulations to Scholastic Art Awards National Medalists!

Congratulations to the OHHS Art and Design student whose art was selected as a High Merit piece for the Fall 2022 Celebrating Art competition and publication! Receiving a Top Ten or High Merit award means the art was an exceptional piece. Out of thousands of entries received for the Fall 2022 contest, it stood out as being one of the top 5% submitted. Students who have art selected as Top Ten or High Merit work will receive special recognition in the book as it is displayed as a Top Ten or High Merit piece.

Congratulations to the following students:

From Schorsch’s Studio Art AP 2D Design class: 

Marshall Shorten

Congratulations to the OHHS Art and Design students whose work was selected for the Window Display at the 2023 National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts! These selected student artworks will be on display from March 1st-31st at Continuum in OTR located at 1407 Vine Street 45202. This collection of student works represents a variety of significant sights in the Greater Cincinnati area. Students created the three-dimensional relief tiles inspired by the work of Rookwood Pottery. Rookwood Pottery was founded in 1880 in Cincinnati, Ohio by Marie Longworth-Nichols, where it quickly became a world-renowned ceramics studio. The tiles preserve the importance of the sights by crafting them in a media that withstands the ages.

The County level PTA Reflections winners have been announced. “Show Your Voice” is the theme for this year’s PTA Reflections Program which has been bringing the arts to life from more than 10 million students since 1969. Reflections encourages students of all ages to unleash creative talents and be inspired; express themselves imaginatively in their artwork; experience the fun and joy of making art; tap into critical-thinking skills to create art inspired by the annual theme, and receive positive recognition for their original works of art.

The winning entries have been sent on for further judging at the state level and could advance as far as the national level! Congratulations to the following OHHS Art and Design students on their accomplishments:

Visual Arts
Anna Ackman
Lizzie Schreibeis

Literature
Molly Audretch
Molly Audretch
Emily Lipps
Elisaret Psinountakis
Ava Wildenmann

Advocating Justice; Building Community

OHHS Art Foundations students recently wrapped up a project focusing on the role of art as a tool for activism. Inspired by the works of German Expressionist Kathe Kollwitz and Cincinnati artist Thom Shaw, students designed and created relief prints from linoleum blocks that communicated social issues that they were compelled to voice their opinion on in an effort to educate others.

Students from Melissa Ambs’ Art Foundations classes will have their prints published in the next edition of Streetvibes! Streetvibes is an alternative newspaper and part of the international street newspaper movement. Focusing on homelessness and social justice issues, Streetvibes reports the often-invisible story of poverty in our community. Streetvibes is also proud to include creative writing, poetry, articles, photography, and interviews written by homeless and formerly homeless individuals. As a progressive news source, Streetvibes serves an educational function and also provides a forum for dialogue for those often left unseen and unheard. It is published twice a month by the Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition, largely with the help of volunteers.

Congratulations to the following students on their selection for publication, and be on the lookout for more OHHS artists featured in upcoming editions of Streetvibes!

Bre Barker
Addison Kress
Alexis Singson
Julien Cortez
Maria Pitchford
Alyssa Miller