ECU hosts middle and high school artists’ work in competition

Published Feb 23, 2023 by

Crystal Baity

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Artwork by middle and high school students from central and eastern North Carolina adorn the walls of East Carolina University’s Gray Gallery — the exhibition site for this year’s Scholastic Art & Writing Awards.

ECU’s School of Art and Design serves as the regional affiliate for the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers, the organization that oversees the awards nationwide. As a partner, ECU manages the regional awards competition, selects jurors, facilitates the jurying process and call for submissions, and organizes the awards ceremony. ECU is hosting the art part of the competition.

Visitors can see about 165 pieces of art that received Scholastic Art and Writing Awards on exhibit in East Carolina University’s Gray Gallery. (ECU photos by Cliff Hollis)

About 1,200 entries were received from 630 students. Mediums submitted included film, painting, photography, ceramics, digital art, illustration, mixed media, sculpture, printmaking and more.

Of those, 268 pieces by 198 students received awards. About 165 pieces that earned the top Gold or Silver Key awards are on display in Gray Gallery. “It is a very selective exhibition,” said Daniel Kariko, professor of photography and assistant director of the School of Art and Design.

Gold Key award pieces are automatically entered in a national competition that will select medal prize winners next month in New York City. National medalists are eligible for scholarships of up to $12,500.

The 100-year-old competition is the longest running recognition program of its kind. “We have a timeline in the gallery representing this century of supporting young artists,” Kariko said.

Among the notable national alumni are Richard Avedon, 1941, photographer; Cy Twombly, 1948, artist; John Lithgow, 1963, actor; Ken Burns, 1971, director, producer; Truman Capote, 1936, author; Andy Warhol, 1945, artist; Sylvia Plath, 1947, author, poet; Joyce Carol Oates, 1956, author; Stephen King, 1965, author; Lena Dunham, 1999, actress, director; and Tschabalala Self, 2008, artist.

At the close of the exhibit, ECU will host student workshops, a reception and awards ceremony, and tours of Jenkins Fine Arts Center on Feb. 25. Student workshops will be 10 a.m. to noon, tours will be offered from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., a reception will be noon to 2 p.m., and the awards ceremony will begin at 2 p.m. in Speight Auditorium, Room 1220, in Jenkins Fine Arts Center.

This is the third year that ECU has hosted the event. “We would love for visitors to see the breadth of young talent from eastern and central North Carolina,” Kariko said. “These are very talented young people who are creating very mature artwork.”

Visit the website for more information on the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards and the Alliance for Young Artists and Writers.