Local students honored with National Scholastic Awards in art and writing

Earlier this year, VisArts was overflowing with incredible visual art and written works by young Richmond-area students as part of the Scholastic Art + Writing Awards. These works all earned special recognitions for the Central Virginia region, including Gold Key, Silver Key, and Honorable Mention distinctions. Since the close of VisArts’ exhibition at the end of February, the National Scholastic Awards have been announced, and we are so proud to share that 38 young artists and writers from our region have received some of the highest honors at the national level.

Among the awardees includes visual artist Ashley Richardson, a senior from Center for the Arts. Ashley was awarded a Gold Medal and the American Visions Award for Shipwreck in a Bottle, and a Silver Medal for My Morning Routine, two works of digital art. Writer and poet Fairouz Bsharat, a senior from Appomattox Regional Governor’s School, received two individual Gold Medal awards, one Silver Medal and, and the prestigious Gold Medal Portfolio award for her work, “The Hyphen between Palestinian-American.” (Plus, did you know Fairouz is also teaching a free poetry workshop at VisArts as part of this year’s Richmond Poetry Fest?)

The National Gold Medal awardees are invited to New York City for a ceremony at Carnegie Hall, and their work will be displayed at institutions like Pratt and The Met.  Congratulations to all the National Scholastic Award winners from our region!

National Gold Medal for Art

In The Slam Room (Portfolio) by Peize Wang, Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School

Immaterial by Makenzie Brown, Thomas Dale High School

Death of Liberty by Delilah Dana, Appomattox Regional Governor’s School

Serene Misery by Henry Decker, Trinity Episcopal School

wearable me by Preshyara Goudy, Appomattox Regional Governor’s School

Out of This World by Allie Hilferty, Trinity Episcopal School

Diptych of Mother and Daughter by Zhihui R Li, J. R. Tucker High School

The Corner Store by Eddie Lim, Deep Run High School

Copper’s Death by Jocelyn Longobardo, Glen Allen High School

The Light Above by Zahra Pariza, Henrico High School

This Shouldn’t Be Happening by Jaylin Pleasant-Fox, Atlee High School

Shipwreck in a Bottle by Ashley Richardson, Center for the Arts

National Gold Medal for Writing

“The Hyphen between Palestinian-American” (Portfolio) by Fairouz Bsharat, Appomattox Regional Governor’s School

“Gerl Night Out” by Alexandra Belter, Appomattox Regional Governor’s School

“A message to the martyrs that I’ll never write a poem for, I’m sorry” by Fairouz Bsharat, Appomattox Regional Governor’s School

“I asked The Wall of Akka for a story and it told me only sorrows” by Fairouz Bsharat, Appomattox Regional Governor’s School

“Sandy, Wardoh, and James” by Howard Luo, Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School

National Silver Medal for Art

Tio Tom’s by Jazmine Barrows, Open High School
Smush by Lucy Beckstoffer, Collegiate School
Burn by Elijah Chen, Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School
Self Portrait Milo Deaner, Appomattox Regional Governor’s School
Am I Dying Because I’m a Woman? by Sarah Fuller, Douglas Freeman High School
Midnight Gaze by Charlotte Henderson, Thomas Dale High School
Ruins by Neha Jain, Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School
Chair by Roary Mcadams, Appomattox Regional Governor’s School
Solitude Among Shadows by Nicholas McDonald, Trinity Episcopal School
Flow I by Molly Morrison, Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School
I Ought to be Thy Adam by Clare Mullins, Glen Allen High School
The Woods: Coyote by Lea Myssyk, Appomattox Regional Governor’s School
My Morning Routine by Ashley Richardson, Center for the Arts
Bricked by Megan Robertson, Deep Run High School
Whirl by Mitchell Shelton, Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School
Meat is Murder by Harper Siefferman, Thomas Dale High School
Many Faces: Milo by Laura Teele, Appomattox Regional Governor’s School
Alien Invasion by Sophia Trinh, Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School
Silent SOS by Presley Wagner, Clover Hill High School

National Silver Medal for Writing

“The cosmic difference between our night skies” by Fairouz Bsharat, Appomattox Regional Governor’s School
“Intermundium” by Madison Ingram, Appomattox Regional Governor’s School
“Figures of This Ancient World – Part 3” by Jackson Moody Collegiate School
“He Still Haunts” by Endiya Murrell, Appomattox Regional Governor’s School
“Sundays in Little India” by Smrithe Rajesh, J. R. Tucker High School

National Honorable Mention for Art

Cellular (Portfolio) by Molly Morrison, Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School

National Honorable Mention for Writing

“Pas de deux” (Portfolio) by Hannah Rouse, Appomattox Regional Governor’s School