Cal U Faculty Awards Peters Student for Poetry

The creativity of the region’s high school and middle school students is on display at California University of Pennsylvania, which is hosting the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards of Southwestern Pennsylvania.

The regional awards—now in their 10th year—recognize outstanding young artists and writers in grades 7-12 from 28 schools in Washington, Greene and Fayette counties.

A jury that includes five Cal U faculty members selected this year’s winners from 376 art submissions and 55 writing entries.

student Morgan Boyer was awarded a Silver Key for her poetry.

“Creativity lights up individual lives, leads to new discoveries and drives progress,” said Janice Hatfield, co-director of the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards of Southwestern Pennsylvania. “That’s why programs that reward creativity are so important.”

This is the third year that Cal U has hosted the awards program.

The artwork is on display now through Feb. 12 in Gallagher Hall at Cal U. The awards ceremony will be held at 2 p.m. Feb. 12 in Steele Hall Mainstage Theatre. At 1 p.m. Feb. 12, a ceremony for students, parents and teachers will be held in Gallagher Hall.

Students who earn Gold Keys at the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards of Southwestern Pennsylvania are entered in the national awards program, where they are eligible for scholarships and cash awards.

Additionally, each of 114 art and writing regions across the United States nominates five student works as “best of show.” A panel selects the best of the five American Voices & Visions nominees from each region to receive national recognition with the American Visions & Voices Medal.

National winners will be announced March 15. Those students will be honored in the national awards ceremony June in 1-2 in New York City.

Since 2002, more than 3,000 students have participated in the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards of Southwestern Pennsylvania, and almost $20,000 in cash awards has been distributed.

For more information, visit www.scholasticartandwritingswpa.org or www.artandwriting.org.