The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, a nationwide arts competition open to high school students, has recognized Culver City High School art students from the CCHS Academy of Visual and Performing Arts for their exceptional talent in the visual arts.

Edna Vogel Amezcua, Michelle Bac, Camille Clair, and Ahin Ju earned “Gold Key” awards, the highest level of achievement, for their individual work in visual art. Edna Vogel Amezcua won one of five top awards called, “The American Visions Award” for her unique personal expression of a portrait painting of CCHS Mathematics teacher, Michael Marsh.

These four students will now continue to compete in the Scholastic Arts & Writing Awards national adjudication in New York City for further scholarship consideration.

Additionally, Edna, Michelle, and Kelly Yeo won “Silver Key” awards for other individual art pieces in drawing and painting. Stefana Gloginic, Madeleine Leist, Marilyn Liu, Delva Reyes Rodriguez, Sophie Rivera, and Kelly Yeo were awarded “Honorable Mention” for their artwork.  

The competition also recognized students for literary excellence through the California Writing Awards from The California Writing Project, California Writes! and the California Association of Teachers of English.

Junior AVPA art student, Kelly Yeo was awarded two Gold Keys for her poetry collections, one of which is an American Voices nominee, the highest regional award. Kelly also earned a Silver Key for a personal essay.  Kate Johannesen has won a “Gold Key” for her poetry. Kelly and Kate’s poems will now move to the national competition.

The Scholastic Art Awards ceremony and exhibition will be held in March at The Armory Center for the Arts in Pasadena, where the winners of the Regional Scholastic Arts & Writing Awards competition will be recognized for their achievements. All the “Gold Key” award recipients from The CCHS Academy of Visual and Performing Arts will have their artwork displayed in the galleries at The Armory.  

AVPA’s Co-Executive Director, Kristine Hatanaka, who is also the Creative Director of Visual Art, said, “I am always proud of my AVPA art students and their willingness to compete in competitions. The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards competition is one of the most competitive because it includes all the schools in Southern California.”

“I encourage my art students to take every opportunity to showcase their skills and creativity,” Hatanaka said.“Competing in a national competition is a greater challenge. I’m so excited to see my students receive the recognition of a national competition like this one. It’s an honor to have been selected.”  

“American Visions and Gold Key” winner Edna Vogel-Amezcua said, “I am so thankful for being recognized for creating my art. When doing so, I finally feel like I belong somewhere and I know where I need to go in my life. Receiving two Gold and Silver Keys and the American Visions nomination has given me more confidence.”

“Being awarded for your creativity is a precious thing,” said junior “Gold Key” winner Michelle Bac. “I am truly grateful for the acknowledgement because it serves as a source of motivation and inspiration.”  

The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards have celebrated 89 years of identifying and documenting the outstanding achievements of young artists and writers in the visual and literary arts. Since 1923, 13 million students have participated, 9 million young artists and writers have been recognized, and $25 million in awards and scholarships have been made available. The program is the longest-running, most prestigious recognition program for creative teens in the U.S., and the largest source of scholarships for young artists and writers.

The Awards are an important opportunity for students to be recognized for their creative talents. Each year, the Alliance partners with more than 100 visual and literary-arts focused organizations across the country to bring the Awards to local communities. Teens in grades 7 through 12 can apply in 28 categories of art and writing for the chance to earn scholarships and have their works exhibited or published.