Baltimore’s arts council, event center and film office. A nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization.

The 2023 Maryland Region Scholastic Art and Writing Awards

The Awards The Maryland Region Scholastic Art and Writing Awards is the nation's longest-running and most prestigious creative teen recognition program for students in grades 7-12. BOPA is proud to serve as the Maryland regional affiliate for this competition and support Maryland's next generation of creatives. Teens, ages 13 and up can apply in 28 categories of art and writing.

  • “In-Between;” Painting by American Visions recipient Aaron Kim

  • “Foreigner;” Ceramic sculpture by American Visions recipient Claudia Moore

Please join us in celebrating the talented teens across the State of Maryland who are recipients of the 2023 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards — the nation’s longest-running and most prestigious creative teen recognition program for students in grades 7–12. Through the Awards, students receive opportunities for exhibition, publication, scholarships, and more. 

BOPA serves as the Maryland regional affiliate for this competition, which means we oversee the important task of collecting and evaluating submissions at the regional level. It's a big job: This year, 1,667 teens from Baltimore and the surrounding region submitted 4,200 works of visual and literary art — up from 1,300 teens submitting 3,000 works last year.

All works are blindly judged by local visual artists, novelists, poets, playwrights, educators, and editors. Each piece is judged based on originality, technical skill, and the emergence of a personal voice. Award recipients receive a Gold Key, Silver Key, or Honorable Mention. Gold Keys are automatically forwarded for consideration at the national level of the Scholastic Awards.

All of the Maryland regional Gold Key recipients were automatically advanced to the national competition alongside Gold Key awardees from other regions. A total of 45 Maryland students received medals at the national level — including Portfolio Gold, Individual Gold, Silver, Silver with Distinction, American Voices, and American Visions, as well as a special Herblock Foundation for Editorial Cartooning Award.
 


VIEW NATIONAL MEDALISTS OF THE SCHOLASTIC ART & WRITING AWARDS

 

VIEW GOLD & SILVER KEYS & HONORABLE MENTIONS

 

Regional Awards Ceremony 

March 12, 2023, at 2:00 p.m. at the Baltimore Museum of Art (BMA). Painter and fiber artist Stephen Towns and children's author Katherine Marsh will serve as keynote speakers for this event. 

The Scholastic Awards requires year-round engagement with schools, educators, arts organizations, and students. BOPA staff goes above and beyond to ensure that we are supporting the next generation of visual artists and writers.   
 

Watch 2022 awards show here.

If you have any questions or would like to schedule a one-on-one or group information session, please contact Twi McCallum, Arts Education Specialist at Baltimore Office of Promotion & the Arts, tmccallum@promotionandarts.org.