Scholastic Art Awards – Wisconsin Exhibition Opens January 31 at the Milwaukee Art Museum
MILWAUKEE, WI—January 30, 2026—For 50 years, the Milwaukee Art Museum has celebrated the creativity, originality, and technical skill of teen artists from across the state through the Scholastic Art Awards: Wisconsin Exhibition. Showcasing hundreds of award-winning works by students in grades 7–12, the 2026 Scholastic Art Awards: Wisconsin Exhibition will be on view January 31–March 15, 2026, in the Museum’s Schroeder Galleria. The exhibition is free and open to the public.
Each year, teens from more than 120 Wisconsin schools submit over 2,500 artworks to the statewide competition, which is adjudicated by regional artists, educators, and arts professionals solely on artistic merit. From these submissions, more than 350 works are selected for the exhibition, offering visitors a powerful glimpse into how young artists see, and shape, the world around them.
“For 50 years, this exhibition has reminded us that young people are not just learning to create art, but they are actively shaping our cultural landscape,” said Amy Kirschke, Barbara Brown Lee Chief Learning and Engagement Officer at the Milwaukee Art Museum. “Seeing their work on the Museum’s walls can be transformative, building confidence, affirming students’ creative voices, and opening doors to futures they may not yet have imagined.”
The exhibition features artworks across 18 categories, including Architecture and Industrial Design; Ceramics and Glass; Comic Art; Conceptual, Installation and Participatory Art; Digital Painting, Drawing and Collage; Drawing; Editorial Cartoon; Experimental Photography; Fashion; Film, and Animation; Graphic Design; Illustration; Jewelry; Mixed Media; Painting; Photography; Printmaking; Sculpture; and Art Portfolio. Works awarded a Sliver Key receive statewide recognition, while those awarded a Gold Key advance to the National Scholastic Art Awards held in New York City.
Since the program came to the Milwaukee Art Museum in 1976, more than 15,000 student artworks have been exhibited. Generations of award recipients have gone on to become artists, designers, art educators, museum professionals, and creative leaders. Many return to the program as teachers, mentors, and jurors. This enduring cycle of mentorship has helped sustain arts education across Wisconsin, particularly as access to arts funding and programming continues to face challenges.
Founded in 1923, the Scholastic Art Awards is the nation’s longest running and most prestigious recognition program for creative teens, supporting emerging talent through exhibitions, publications, and scholarships. Past recipients include artists such as Richard Avedon, Cy Twombly, and Andy Warhol.
If you are interested in knowing which students and schools in your community have been recognized, please follow this link to access the reference documents:
https://www.artandwriting.org/regions/WI001A/
Sponsorship
The 2026 Scholastic Art Awards: Wisconsin Exhibition is supported in part by a grant from the Wisconsin Arts Board, with funds from the State of Wisconsin and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Anonymous donor
Heller Foundation and Mary Ellen Heller in memory of Avis Heller
Peter and Debra Johnson
Vanguard Computers, Inc.
Visit
The 2026 Scholastic Art Awards: Wisconsin Exhibition is on view January 31–March 15, 2026, in the Schoeder Galleria. This exhibition is free and open to the public. It is accessible from the Museum’s main entrance.
Programming:
Awards Day will be held on February 7, 2026, with award-winning students and their guests in attendance. This event is not open to the public, but if members of the press would like to join, please reach out to MAM’s media contact to make arrangements.
Museum hours:
Monday–Tuesday: Closed
Wednesday: 10 a.m.–5 p.m.
Thursday: 10 a.m.–8 p.m.
Friday–Sunday: 10 a.m.–5 p.m.
Admission:
Adults: $27
Students, seniors (65+), military: $20
Kids 12 and under: Free, thanks to an anonymous donor
Wisconsin K–12 teachers: Free with valid school ID or pay stub
Members: Free
Thursday Nights at MAM:
Every Thursday, admission is pay-what-you-wish from 4 to 8 p.m.
Museum admission includes access to collection and exhibition galleries and the Kohl’s Art Studio, which is open Friday–Sunday, 10 a.m.–4 p.m.
Membership:
Members enjoy free admission, exclusive programs, and special access throughout the year. Learn more at mam.org/membership.
Experience the Burke Brise Soleil:
Designed by Santiago Calatrava, the Museum’s iconic wings open daily with the Museum, close and re-open at noon, and close at 10 p.m. The wings are illuminated nightly from sundown to 10 p.m.; movement is weather permitting.
About the Milwaukee Art Museum
The Milwaukee Art Museum is an essential destination for art and architecture, and a vital cultural resource that connects visitors to dynamic art experiences and one another. Housed in iconic buildings by Santiago Calatrava, Eero Saarinen, and David Kahler on a 24-acre lakefront campus, the Museum is Wisconsin’s largest art institution and home to both broad and deep collections, with exceptional holdings in American painting, sculpture, and decorative arts; conceptual and minimalist art; prints and drawings; European art from the Renaissance through the nineteenth century; photography and new media; modern and contemporary design; folk and self-taught art; and twentieth-century Haitian art. A bold symbol of Milwaukee’s ambition and forward-thinking vision, the Museum is a place for community building, education, and celebration that fosters creativity, free speech, and critical discourse for audiences of all ages and backgrounds. For more information, visit mam.org.
NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.
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