In the past, Rocky Mount Academy’s student artists have competed in the Scholastic Art and Writing Award, founded in 1923 in order to inspire bold ideas in creative teens throughout the country. The purpose of the award is to recognize teen students for their rare artistic and literary talents. Winners receive recognition, exhibition, publication, and scholarship opportunities for their abilities. The Scholastic Art and Writing Award is the nation’s largest, longest-running, and most reputable recognition program for creative teenagers in the visual arts field. Most of the award’s notoriety can be attributed to its famous past recipients such as Andy Warhol (artist), Truman Capote (writer), Stephen King (writer), Robert Redford (actor/director), and Zac Possen (fashion designer).

This year, junior Ari Henderson drew a picture of a diamond to be submitted in the drawing and illustration category of the 2021 Scholastic Art and Writing Award Competition. Ari chose a diamond because she knew it would be very challenging to draw something so realistic, and she had never drawn anything remotely like it. The diamond she drew was drawn on toned paper with Prismacolor colored pencils while using white gel pens for a highlighted effect. This masterpiece took up to 20 hours to complete. Ari’s drawing talent, reflected in her diamond drawing. amazed the Scholastic Art and Writing Award judges. In fact, Ari was chosen out of 320,000 artists to be a recipient of the award. Ari was selected as a winner because her diamond drawing exemplified the core values the judges were looking for: originality, technical skill, and the emergence of personal voice or vision.

Ari joins other Rocky Mount Academy alumni who have also won the Scholastic Art and Writing Award. Rocky Mount Academy is planning on taking part in the Scholastic Art and Writing Award competition for the 2021-2022 school year. There are many categories in which to enter for this award, including Architecture and Industrial Design, Ceramics and Glass, Comic Art, Design, Digital Art, Editorial Cartoon, Expanded Projects, Fashion, Film and Animation, Jewelry, Mixed Media, Painting, Photography, and Printmaking.  For more information, contact Rocky Mount Academy art teacher, Mrs. Hunter. Way to go, Ari!