Vermont youth receive Scholastic Art Awards

Staff Report
BRATTLEBORO, Vt. — Nine Vermont youth have been selected as 2021 National Award recipients in the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, with four winning Gold Medals and five receiving Silver Medals.

The Brattleboro Museum & Art Center (BMAC) is the Vermont affiliate for the annual awards program. Vermont’s 2021 recipients of the American Visions and American Voices Medals are Viva Vadim of Putney School (winner of the American Visions Medal, for art) and Timia McCoade of the Mountain School of Milton Academy (winner of the American Voices Medal, for writing).

Works were judged on originality, technical skill and the emergence of personal vision or voice. Teachers of national winners were recognized with awards as well.

Vermont’s 2021 National Award winners for art are:

— Kay Conner, of St. Johnsbury, grade 12, St. Johnsbury Academy, Gold Medal (teacher: Rosie Prevost);

— Anna Hubbard, of Putney, grade 11, Putney School, Gold Medal (teacher: Lynne Weinstein);

— Viva Vadim, of Putney, grade 11, Putney School, Gold Medal, American Visions Medal (teacher: Vanessa Vadim).

Vermont’s 2021 National Award winners for writing are:

— Lily Barth, of Concord, grade 12, St. Johnsbury Academy, Silver Medal (Teacher: Jennifer Mackenzie);

— Matthew Califano, of Craftsbury Common, grade 9, home school, Silver Medal (teacher: Richard Califano);

— Timia McCoade, of White Plains, New York, grade 11, the Mountain School of Milton Academy, Gold Medal, American Voices Medal (teacher: Adra Raine);

— Lea Mihok, of Burlington, grade 12, Burlington Technical Center, Silver Medal (teacher: Jason Raymond);

— Beniamino Nardin, of Waitsfield, grade 11, Harwood Union Middle and High School, Silver Medal (teacher: Dan Morse);

— Maria Sell of Pittsfield, Grade 11, Woodstock Union High School, Silver Medal (teacher: Lauren Sullivan-Justice).

The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards is a national recognition program for aspiring visual artists and writers. Each year, students in grades 7-12 are invited to submit art and writing in dozens of categories. Since its founding in 1923, the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards have nurtured the talents of many creative visionaries. Past winners include Truman Capote, Lena Dunham, Stephen King, Sylvia Plath, John Updike and Andy Warhol.

BMAC has administered the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards for Vermont since 2011. According to Sarah Freeman, BMAC exhibitions manager, participation in the program has grown steadily since its inception. For this year’s awards, 157 Vermont students submitted 594 works of art and writing.

Go online tobrattleboromuseum.orgfor more information or call (802) 257-0124.

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