Every September, creative students across Western PA prepare their most loved pieces of art and writing for the Scholastic Art and Writing Competition. These students have a chance to win prestigious awards for their passion projects, as well as regional and national recognition. This contest gives their work exposure and offers a creative outlet that many students are lacking in the high school environment. 

“I thought Scholastic was a good way to get my work out there, so I’d recommend it to other students. And, if you do receive a high award, you even have a chance to win national recognition,” Senior Mack Matthews states.

Students who submit to the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards are entered into the regional competition where they can win American Voice Awards, American Vision Awards, Gold Keys, Silver Keys and/or Honorable Mentions. Gold Keys are automatically entered into the national level of competition where students have a chance to win even higher awards.

This year, Matthews submitted a collection of three poems to the Scholastic competition, which he won an Honorable Mention award for. His favorite of the three centered on the idea of not knowing exactly which path to walk in life.

It was his second time submitting to the competition, with the first being in his freshman year. He mainly uses his writing as an emotional outlet and enjoys experimenting with different poetic forms. He first got involved with Scholastic because he believed it would be a good way to get his poetry “out there.” 

In addition, Matthews also plans to continue writing in college in order to become a better writer and talk about different social issues. 

Freshman Sienna Heasley also submitted to the competition this year. 

“Everyday life inspires a lot of my paintings. Music also helps me to come up with ideas,” Heasley says.

Heasley won several Gold Keys and American Vision awards for her artwork this year. However, her favorite piece was the only submission she did not win a Key for. The name of her piece was “Hazy Shade” and she came up with it on a whim when listening to music. 

“Hazy Shade” is an acrylic painting on a round canvas. It depicts a person surrounded by colorful clouds and it took Heasley about 2 hours to paint. Overall, she really enjoyed the experience, which showed through in the final result. 

Heasley first became involved with Scholastic Art and Writing because she heard it was a good way to pursue her artwork in a competitive arena. She began submitting in 7th grade and plans to continue to submit her art throughout high school, while also experimenting with many different mediums. 

“I think students should submit a piece of artwork/writing that they are proud of. Every time they see it, they should connect to the writing,” teacher Mrs. Hartley suggests. 

Students can begin submitting to the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards in September every year. Submissions can be entered either through Hartley or through any teacher in the art department. 

The regional Awards ceremony for 2022 is virtual as of right now.  Matthews, Heasley and Hartley will all try to be in attendance in order to see the art exhibit and hear the writer’s voices.