Arts Academy students commended in 2024 regional Scholastic Art & Writing Awards
57 students from the Academy’s creative writing, interdisciplinary arts, and visual arts divisions received accolades in one of the nation’s most prestigious national competitions for young artists.
57 students from Interlochen Arts Academy’s creative writing, interdisciplinary arts, and visual arts divisions received accolades in the 2024 regional Scholastic Art & Writing Awards.
15 Creative Writing students were among the award recipients in the West Central Michigan region, which was adjudicated this year by the competition’s region-at-large. Seniors Shreya Ganguly and Emily Pickering won Gold Keys for their portfolios, contributing to the division’s combined total of 15 Gold Keys.
Interdisciplinary Arts students Melodie Rassulkyzy and Olivia Babovic also received creative writing awards. Rassulkyzy earned both a Gold Key and one of the region’s American Voices Award nominations—a citation granted to the five best written works from each region.
40 Arts Academy visual artists united for a total of 107 individual and portfolio awards, including 28 Gold Keys, 37 Silver Keys, and 42 Honorable Mentions. Academy students Benjamin Goodlife, Sihyun (Evelyn) Park, and Maya Tzonev scored four of the region’s five American Visions Award nominations, which are awarded to the region’s five best visual artworks (Park received nominations for two pieces). Six visual arts students earned portfolio awards, with senior Campbell Cronk winning a Gold Key for her portfolio “Empathy Through Grief.”
All winners will be honored at regional awards celebrations. Gold Key-winning works will advance to the national level of the competition for further adjudication. Results of the national judging will be announced soon.
Founded in 1923, the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards are presented by the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers to recognize and celebrate the vision, ingenuity, and talent of our nation’s youth. Each year, young artists in grades 7-12 are invited to submit their works in 29 different categories of art and writing for the chance to earn scholarships and exhibition opportunities.
