District Middle and High School Students Earn Scholastic Art Awards

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The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards have inspired creative teens for nearly a century.

“Rupture” by Jade Jimenez, Carver HS

Harris County Department of Education (HCDE) recently announced the 2023 Regional Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards is the nation’s longest-running prestigious recognition program for creative teens. Aldine ISD students earned 50 Scholastic Awards, including five (5) Gold Keys, the pinnacle award.

HCDE annually sponsors the regional Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. School districts, private schools, and home schools are represented as students earning Gold Key, Silver Key, and honorable mention awards. Students submit their work through teachers. Several hundred volunteer art and writing professionals judge submissions.

All Scholastic Art and Writing competition entries are considered for multiple awards, with the Gold Key being the pinnacle. The awards are presented to students during celebration ceremonies and exhibitions in each region of the state.

The regional Gold Key entries are automatically considered for national awards in New York City, where world-renowned creative professionals will judge them. Many Scholastic Awards alums have lent their expertise as jurors, including Michael Bierut, Philip Pearlstein, Edward Sorel, Red Grooms, and Gary Panter. Other luminaries who have served as judges include Langston Hughes, Robert Frost, Judy Blume, Billy Collins, Paul Giamatti, Francine Prose, Edwidge Danticat, David Sedaris, Lesley Stahl, Nikki Giovanni, Roz Chast, Wangechi Mutu, Andres Serrano, Kiki Smith, Jill Kraus, Shinique Smith, Rashid Johnson, and Waris Ahluwalia.

Jurors look for work that exemplifies the Awards’ core values: originality, technical skill, and the emergence of a personal voice or vision. Entries are selected for awards without knowledge of the student’s gender, age, ethnicity, or hometown by some of the foremost visual and literary arts leaders.

The national winners will be announced this spring and awarded in June at a ceremony at Carnegie Hall.

Founded in 1923, the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards have inspired bold ideas in creative teens throughout the country. Notable alums include Stephen King, Robert Redford, Truman Capote, Andy Warhol, Joyce Carol Oates, and Amanda Gorman. They all earned awards as Scholastic Art & Writing Awards as teens.

Aldine ISD Award Recipients

In the 2023 art categories, Aldine ISD students earned five (5) Gold Keys, 13 Silver Keys, and 32 Honorable Mention awards.

Aldine High School (8): 1 Gold Key, 3 Silver Keys, and 4 HMs; Blanson CTEHS (15): 2 Gold Keys, 3 Silver Keys, and 10 HMs; Carver HS (10): 1 Gold, 3 Silver, and 6 HMs; Davis HS (3): 2 Silver Keys and 1 HM; Eisenhower HS (9): 1 Gold, 2 Silver Awards, and 6 Honorable Mentions (HM); Grantham Academy (1): 1 HM; Mead Middle School (3): 3 HMs; and Shotwell MS (1): 1 HM.

Click here for a complete list of the regional winners.

Aldine HS

Gold Key

“Downtown Blues” by Jacob Salazar

Sam by Madelyn Meléndez
Media: Photography
Teacher: Birgit Langhammer

(2) Silver Keys

Downtown Blues and Beast by Jacob Salazar
Media: Photography
Teacher: Birgit Langhammer

Silver Key

Tyrannosaurus Rex by Perla Rodríguez
Media: Painting
Teacher: Chinedu Onochie

Honorable Mention

Madelaine Colin for Art Portfolio Once Upon A Time
Grade 12
Teacher Birgit Langhammer

Karyme de León for Digital Arts Pandemonium
Grade: 12
Teacher: Birgit Langhammer

Eduardo López for Photography El Maestro
Grade: 12
Teacher: Birgit Langhammer

Jiret Murillo for Drawing & Illustration Self-Portrait
Grade: 10
Teacher: Chinedu Onochie 

Nereyda Valadez for Photography Unseen
Grade: 11
Teacher: Birgit Langhammer

Avalos P-TECH School

Silver Key

“Beast” by Jacob Salazar

Delay by Nina Butler
Media: Photography
Teacher: Carolyn Watkins

Blanson CTEHS

Gold Key

Discrimination Overlooked by Dawn Abigail Calbalquinto
Media: Photography
Teacher: William Brink

Alone by Lucia Mar
Media: Painting
Teacher: Chris Peel

Silver Key

Fever Dream by Elena Lai
Media: Digital Art
Teacher: Chris Peel

“Sam” by Madelyn Meléndez

Fever by Lucia Mar
Media: Painting
Teacher: Chris Peel

Fading Away by Joe Williams
Media: drawing
Teacher: Chris Peel

Honorable Mention

Juan Arriaga for Photography Sky’s the Limit
Grade: 12
Teacher: William Brink

Alessandra García for Digital Art Wisteria
Grade: 12
Teacher: Chris Peel

Kaylee Kichty for Photography Eyes in the Shadows
Grade: 12
Teacher: William Brink

Elena Lai for Digital Art One-Way Entry
Grade: 12
Teacher: Chris Peel

(2) Joshua Longoria for Digital Art Need Some Sleep and A Facade
Grade: 12
Teacher: Chris Peel

Eleazar Lucio for Mixed Media Fighting Guilt
Grade: 12
Teacher: Chris Peel

Lizeth Mendoza for Photography Cool Tones
Grade: 11
Teacher: William Brink

(2) Anthony Tran for Digital Art  Ghost Remains and Comfy Rest
Grade: 12
Teacher: Chris Peel

Carver HS

Gold Key

Quiet Place by Daniel Robinson
Media: Photography
Teacher: Matthew Kirkpatrick

Silver Key

La Tensión by Verónica Calderón
Media: Photography
Teacher: Matthew Kirkpatrick

Rupture by Jade Jiménez
Media: Mixed Media
Teacher: Hunter Koch

The Hidden by Daniel Robinson
Media: Photography
Teacher: Matthew Kirkpatrick

Honorable Mention

Leeana Arroyo-Morales for Photography After Hours
Grade: 10
Teacher: Matthew Kirkpatrick

Verónica Calderón for Photography La esperanza del baile
Grade: 11
Teacher: Matthew Kirkpatrick

Kayleen Corral for Photography Slowly Moving Through Life
Grade: 11
Teacher: Matthew Kirkpatrick

Daniela Putzeys for Mixed Media Achieving the Perfect Body
Grade: 11
Teacher: Hunter Koch

Delores Sells for Photography Lioness
Grade: 12
Teacher: Matthew Kirkpatrick

Jayren Ward for Photography The Broken Face
Grade: 10
Teacher: Matthew Kirkpatrick

Davis HS

Silver Key

What’s In My Galaxy by Jazmin Estrada
Media: Comic Art
Teacher: Zachary Bradley

Anemone in Black by Naomi Giron
Media: Sculpture
Teacher: Angela Shah

Honorable Mention

Celeste Banda for Painting Personalidad de mi hermano
Grade: 10
Teacher: Martin Barrera

Eisenhower HS

Gold Key

Somber by Jacqueline Jimenez
Media: Photography
Teacher: Óscar Medina

(2) Silver Keys

Persepolis and Savanna by Stephanie Pacheco
Media: Photography
Teacher: ÓscarMedina

Honorable Mention

(2) Courtney Bolden for Painting Hope in Time and End of the Beginning
Grade: 11
Teacher: Kayleigh Rundquist

Angelique Gilmore for Photography Camie
Grade: 11
Teacher: Óscar Medina

Lesley Hernández for Comic Art I Took Control
Grade: 11
Teacher: Lacey LeBlanc

Yaretzi Lagunas Marcos for Photography Faith
Grade: 10
Teacher: Kayleigh Rundquist

Silvia Mendez for Drawing & Illustration Sole Mates
Grade: 11
Teacher: Lacey LeBlanc

MacArthur HS

Silver Key

Leap Into Fire by Evelin Salas
Media: Fashion
Teacher: Rebecca DeGroot

Mead MS

Honorable Mention

Briseis Fernández for Photography Taurus
Grade: 7
Teacher: Dominique Clawson

Benito Martínez for Photography Work
Grade: 8
Teacher: Dominique Clawson

Leander Molina for Photography Apocalypse
Grade: 8
Teacher: Dominique Clawson

Shotwell MS

Honorable Mention

Zahara Garza for Photography The Flower Ring
Grade: 8
Teacher: Paige Cullingford

Grantham Academy

Honorable Mention

Sebastian Cerda for Photography NYC Manhattan at Night
Grade: 8
Teacher: Susan Farrington