2023 Maine Region Scholastic Art Awards
Since 1923, the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards have recognized the vision, ingenuity, and talent of our nation’s youth, and provided opportunities for creative teens to be celebrated. Each year, increasing numbers of teens participate in the program, and become a part of our community—young artists and writers, filmmakers and photographers, poets and sculptors, video game artists and science fiction writers—along with countless educators who support and encourage their creative process.
The Congressional Art Competition takes place each spring, when the Congressional Institute sponsors a nationwide high school visual art competition to recognize and encourage artistic talent in the nation and in each congressional district. Since this competition began in 1982, more than 650,000 high school students have participated.
Maine College of Art & Design is pleased to be hosting both the Scholastic Art Award Competition and the Congressional Art Awards this year. For complete details on student eligibility, competition categories, jury criteria, important dates and deadlines, scholarships, and more, please see below for more details and/or artandwriting.org.
See below for a full list of this year's award winning art and students!
The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards is the nation’s longest-running and most prestigious recognition initiative for creative teens. Maine's regional Gold Key, Silver Key, Honorable Mention, and American Visions & Voices Nomination recipients are honored locally through community ceremonies and exhibitions.
Maine students are invited to submit creative and original work to any of the Awards’ eighteen creative categories, including architecture, photography, sculpture, comic art, painting, video game design, fashion, and more. At each level of judging, all works are selected to move on to the next stage based on the same three criteria that have represented the program since its founding in 1923: originality, technical skill, and emergence of personal vision or voice.
Thank you
We would like to thank the educators, parents, and supporters of our award-winning student artists. We are grateful to your encouragement for this group of talented student artists!
Thank to you the 2023 jurors:
Christina Bechstein
Piper Bolduc
Alejandra Cuadra
Hannah Day
Brian Doody
London Dupere
Roy Fox
Elyse Grams
Jenny Ibsen
Justin Levesque
Hector Nevarez Magaña
Kenny Shapiro
Brian Smith
Cody Stack
Nevan Swanson
Dan Toomre
Carla Weeks
Regional and National Awards
Regional — Gold Key
The very best works submitted to local programs. Gold Key works are automatically considered for national–level recognition.
Regional — Silver Key
Stand-out works submitted to local programs that demonstrate exceptional ability.
Regional — Honorable Mention
Accomplished works submitted to local programs showing great skill and potential.
Regional — American Visions & Voices Nominees
Five works, from across all categories and grades, are selected from those earning Gold Keys as the “Best-of-Show” for each local program as nominees for the American Visions & Voices Medals.
National — Gold Medal
The most outstanding works in the nation.
National — Silver Medal
Works demonstrating high honors on the national level.
National — American Visions & Voices Medals
One work from each local region, from the five American Voices & Visions Nominees, will earn an American Visions & Voices Medal.
National — Gold Medal & Silver Medal with Distinction Portfolios
Seniors with outstanding portfolios are recognized with Gold Medal Portfolio and Silver Medal with Distinction Portfolio Awards. These honors include scholarships.
National — Special Achievement Awards
Additional awards and scholarships are presented through the support of Scholastics sponsors.
Student Eligibility
Public, private, or home-school students in the U.S., Canada, or American schools abroad enrolled in grades 7–12 (ages thirteen and up) are eligible to participate in the Scholastic Awards. Students can compete in up to 18 different art categories.
Judging Criteria
Originality
Work that breaks from convention, blurs the boundaries between genres, and challenges notions of how a particular concept or emotion can be expressed.
Technical Skill
Work that uses technique to advance an original perspective or a personal vision or voice, and shows skills being utilized to create something unique, powerful, and innovative.
Emergence of a Personal Vision or Voice
Work with an authentic and unique point of view and style.
Steps to Enter
The deadline to enter the 2023 Scholastics Art Awards is Monday, December 12, 2022.
1. Sign up
Create an account at artandwriting.org/login to submit your work.
2. Create and Upload Your Work
The Scholastic Awards look for work that demonstrates originality, technical skill, and the emergence of a personal voice or vision. After you have created your work, you can upload it to your Scholastic Awards Account. Once you have logged in, follow the instructions to upload all of your submissions into the system.
Every category has specific requirements so please read the guidelines and category descriptions carefully. Note that you will need your art educator's email address.
3. Send in the Required Forms
After uploading your work, print your submission forms and have a parent or guardian and an educator sign them. Submit the form(s) and fee(s) following the instructions on the Submission Form and the guidelines below. Please carefully read through the instructions as you go through the registration process.
Submission Fees
In 2023, the fees were $10 for Individual Submissions and $30 for Portfolio entries.
Submission fees can be submitted online via PayPal.
If you need to pay by check, please make it out to Maine College of Art & Design and send to:
Maine College of Art & Design
Attn: Maine Region Scholastic Art Awards
522 Congress Street
Portland, ME 04101
Image Requirements
Digital Image Requirements
Artwork must be submitted as a digital file in JPG, GIF, or PNG format (PSD, BMP, PDF, RAW, or TIF files are not accepted). Print dimensions must be at least 5” x 7” or approximately 13 x 18 centimeters, and image resolution must be 300 dpi. 3-D submissions may include up to 4 images. Please include a ruler or object for reference to indicate scale in at least one of the images.
Submissions allowing for video uploads must be .mp4, .mov, .wmv, .avi, .mpg, or .mpeg files. Video Game submissions must be .exe, .zip, .rar, or .swf files, must also include a 250-500 word gameplay summary in the provided text editor, and a gameplay video.
Mailing Address
Maine College of Art & Design
Attn: Maine Region Scholastic Art Awards
522 Congress Street
Portland, ME 04101
Contact email
artandwriting@meca.edu
Do not mail artwork for the judging process. Judging is done from your digitally submitted entry.
Details will be emailed to each student after the judging of digital art has taken place. Only bring or mail artwork if it has been invited to be displayed.
Photography has a limit of 16 entries. Portfolios are limited to high school seniors; (grade 12) and 2 portfolios of 8 pieces each. Portfolio pieces can also be entered as individual pieces. No other limits on submissions. The "Future New" category can only be entered Nationally. It can not be entered into the regional competition.
Notification
Communications will all be via email.
Dates & Deadlines
The digital submission deadline is Monday, December 12, 2022. Paperwork, including forms and payment, must be received by Monday, December 12, 2022.
The 2023 Maine Region Scholastics Exhibition will be held in March 2023. Students who receive Silver Key or Gold Key awards for individual works or portfolios will be invited to exhibit their winning work at Maine College of Art & Design.
The 2023 Maine Region Scholastics Award Ceremony will be held in March, with a date and time TBA. We will also make a decision on whether the ceremony will be held virtually or in-person closer to March. We appreciate your patience! We will notify all winning students of their awards with an invitation to the ceremony. Students will be asked to RVSP so we can make the event as smooth as possible for all. The awards ceremony is by invitation only and not open to the public.
Scholarships for Winning Scholastics Entries
Maine College of Art & Design is pleased to award scholarships to winning student artists at the Regional and National levels for all states. All scholarships are renewable every year and are applied toward the cost of attendance at MECA&D.
National Scholastic winners: $2,500 per year
Regional Gold Key winners: $1,500 per year
Regional Silver Key winners: $1,000 per year
Regional Honorable Mention winners: $500 per year
Accepted BFA students must submit proof of award in order to receive scholarship funding toward the cost of attendance at MECA&D's Bachelor of Fine Arts program. MECA&D will award the scholarship level based on the highest award a student has achieved while in high school.
Accepted Pre-College students must submit proof of any award in order to receive a $500 scholarship toward the cost of attendance at MECA&D's Pre-College program, a three-week summer program that takes place every July.
More information about MECA&D's Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) and how to apply can be found here.
More information about MECA&D's Pre-College program and how to apply can be found here.
Scholarships for Winning Congressional Awards Entries
Maine College of Art & Design award scholarships to student artists who receive Maine Congressional Art Awards. All scholarships are renewable every year and are applied toward the cost of attendance at MECA&D. Congressional awards are award in addition to Maine Scholastic Award scholarships.
Congressional First Place winners: $1,000 per year
Congressional Second Place winners: $500 per year
Congressional Third Place winners: $500 per year
Congressional Honorable Mention winners: $500 per year
Accepted BFA students must submit proof of award in order to receive scholarship funding toward the cost of attendance at MECA&D's Bachelor of Fine Arts program.
More information about MECA&D's Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) and how to apply can be found here.
Header Image
Eliza Goodwin, At The End of Stream, Gold Key, Printmaking, Waynflete School
