Exeter, NH (January 29, 2009)—More than 17 Phillips Exeter Academy students are winners in this year’s Scholastic Art and Writing Awards Showcase, an annual publication and virtual gallery that showcases nationally-recognized work. The Showcase is a part of the Alliance for Young Artists and Writers, which tracks the creative development of teenagers across the country each year. All Gold Key winners will be entered into a national Scholastic Art competition to be judged in New York City in mid-February.

This year’s Gold Key Art Award winners are: Alice VanBokkelen, a 9th grader from South Hampton, NH, photography; Caroline Wiklund, a 12th grader from Plymouth, MA, sculpture; Devon Gorman, an 11th grader from Chinle, AZ, ceramics and glass; Hayoon Kim, a 12th grader from Seoul, Korea, computer animation; John Beckett, an 11th grader from Newport, RI, ceramics and glass; Molly Liu, a 12th grader from Ann Arbor, MI, painting (two entries); Samuel Burns, a 10th grader from Exeter, NH, ceramics and glass; Connie Su, an 11th grader from Acton, MA, painting; Emma Glennon, an 11th grader from Greenland, NH, painting; Lucy Yu, a 10th grader from Grayslake, IL, painting; and Mallory Kosow, a 10th grader from Exeter, NH, photography.

Silver Key winners include:  Isobel Chisholm, a 10th grader from Exeter, NH, photography; and Elenore Zander, a 12th grader from Katonah, NY, photography.

Honorable Mention winners are:  Harold Li, a 10th grader from Hong Kong, P.R. China, mixed media; Leonard Ross, a 12th grader from Singapore, mixed media; Neil Herman, an 11th grader from Henderson, NV, photography; Shadi Ramadan, a 9th grader from Newfields, NH, ceramics and glass;  Zander, photography; Yu,  printmaking; and Wesley Zhu, a 9th grader from Reno, NV, photography. 

In the Portfolio category, Sanna Gu, a 12th grader from North Andover, MA, who submitted an entry in drawing, was awarded a $1,000 scholarship by Coca-Cola of Northern New England to attend the New Hampshire Institute of Art (NHIA). Other portfolio winners: Chloe Jang (Gold), a 12th grader from Seoul, Korea, painting; and Zander (Silver), photography. NHIA will provide $1,000 school scholarships to attend the Institute for each of the 33 Gold Key portfolio winners.   

An annual statewide showing of the students’ award-winning work will be on exhibit January 20 – February 8, 2009, at Pinkerton Academy’s Stockbridge Theater in Derry, NH. Viewing hours will be Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., Saturday-Sunday, noon-3 p.m. Students with exhibited work will be honored on February 8, at 11 a.m. (grades 7-9) and noon (grades 10-12) in the Stockbridge Theater.

More than 1,300 individual works of art were submitted from students in public, parochial and private schools throughout the country in grades 7-12. Submissions were judged in 20 visual art categories by five panels of judges, who awarded 669 individual prizes. Of those selected, 239 were awarded Gold Keys, 208 were awarded Silver Keys, and 321 received Honorable Mentions.

 See more examples of the artwork...

Visit our art Web page to learn more about the PEA Art Department, or our home page at http://www.exeter.edu/. You may also contact the Art Department at (603) 777-3461. A complete list of upcoming events is available on the Phillips Exeter Academy public events line at (603) 777-4309. For directions to Phillips Exeter Academy, call (603) 777-4330.