Rivers Students Recognized in Annual Scholastic Art & Writing Awards of Massachusetts
This winter, the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards of Massachusetts recognized 23 Rivers students for their creative work in a variety of art mediums. Rivers students earned gold key, silver key, and honorable mention awards in the sculpture, mixed media, ceramics, editorial cartoon, photography, film, drawing, poetry, personal essay, and writing portfolio categories.
The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards are presented annually by the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers and regional partners. The Alliance for Young Artists & Writers describes the awards program as “the nation’s longest-running, most prestigious recognition program for creative teens.”
“Scholastic provides our talented creatives with a chance to showcase their studio skills and critical thinking and has become a wonderful way to validate our artists’ talent and ability in real-world contexts,” said Chris Love, chair of the Visual Arts Department at Rivers. “The entire process of creating work, choosing your best, and putting it out into the world gives us all a chance to celebrate wins and each other, to create wonder, dream out loud, and to develop resiliency when things don’t go our way.”
The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards of Massachusetts reportedly received 8,683 total art entries this year. Students who earn gold keys at the regional level advance to national judging. This year, two Rivers students received that designation: Alex Yang ’28 for his sculpture “Polyhedral Docking” and Zimon Li ’26 for his personal essay “Porcelain and Petrichor.” Yang’s sculpture will be displayed alongside other gold key visual art at Tufts University’s Breed Hall from March 14 to 22.
Mary Mertsch P’27, ’29, chair of the English Department, commended Rivers’ two writing honorees, Li and Maylea Harris ’26. She also noted the impact of the Special Program in Creative Writing (SPCW) at Rivers, led by humanities faculty member Jeff Baker P’32. Harris, who earned two Scholastic awards, participated in the program last year. “Jeff Baker has done an exceptional job leading the SPCW, inspiring students to share their work beyond the Rivers community with the wider world,” Mertsch said.
The SPCW demands real commitment from students. “I’m so proud that several of them are willing to get up early to be here at 7:30 a.m. week after week, making time to write despite their incredibly busy schedules,” shared Baker.
Mertsch concluded, “At a time when AI and STEM fields are capturing so much attention, it’s especially heartening to see Rivers students devoting their time and energy to the deeply human craft of writing.”
Gold Key Awardees:
Zimon Li ’26, Personal Essay & Memoir
Alex Yang ’28, Sculpture
Silver Key Awardees:
Jenna Adams ’28, Ceramics & Glass
Vivian Dykema ’26, Drawing (two awards)
Matthew Gundersheimer ’27, Sculpture
Maylea Harris ’26, Writing Portfolio
Oliver Mertsch ’29, Photography
Max Murray ’28, Sculpture
Braxton Seale ’27, Ceramics & Glass
Maggie Tompros ’30, Photography
Honorable Mention Awardees:
Ella Croom ’28, Sculpture
Angelina Fonte ’27, Mixed Media
Lauren Ganitsky ’30, Photography
Maylea Harris ’26, Poetry
Sabrina Holliday ’30, Photography
Ann Gloria Jean ’30, Photography
Lexie Keel ’29, Ceramics & Glass
Diana Lee ’30, Editorial Cartoon (two awards)
Alison Leiva ’27, Sculpture
Grace Mitrokostas ’30, Editorial Cartoon
Aurelio Better Piermarini ’29, Sculpture
Olivia Standish ’27, Ceramics & Glass
Trevor Thompson ’29, Ceramics & Glass
George Ullman ’28, Film & Animation
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