Award-Winning Artworks by Wisconsin Teens Coming Soon to Milwaukee Art Museum for 2023 Scholastic Art Awards: Wisconsin Exhibition

Milwaukee, Wis. – January 24, 2023 – The Milwaukee Art Museum today announced it will present award-winning artwork by creative teens from Wisconsin for the 2023 Scholastic Art Awards: Wisconsin Exhibition. The annual juried exhibition, which the Museum has hosted for the Wisconsin region since 1976, recognizes excellence in the visual arts and encourages the artistic endeavors of young people throughout the United States. On view February 4–March 19 in the Museum’s Schroeder Galleria, the exhibition will showcase more than 350 works by students in grades 7–12 from schools across the state.  In addition, works by past Scholastic Art Award recipients from the Museum’s collection, including work by Harry Bertoia, Robert Indiana, Cy Twombly, John Wilde, and Andy Warhol, will be highlighted throughout the permanent collection galleries.

“We are thrilled to continue the Museum’s decades-long tradition of hosting the Scholastic Art Awards regional exhibition and championing the creative achievements of talented young artists from all around Wisconsin,” said Amy Kirschke, Barbara Brown Lee Senior Director of Learning and Engagement. “It is truly wonderful for the Museum to introduce a new generation of artists to the community, providing them with a platform at this important moment in their artistic journey and fostering their continued growth and advancement.”

Each year, a jury of regional arts professionals, including artists, university faculty, and gallerists, select the awarded works from approximately 2,500 submissions across 16 categories: Architecture & Industrial Design, Ceramics & Glass, Comic Art, Design, Digital Art, Drawing & Illustration, Editorial Cartoon, Expanded Projects, Fashion, Film & Animation, Jewelry, Mixed Media, Painting, Photography, Printmaking, and Sculpture. The exhibition features work spanning mediums from painting to design.

This year, the Wisconsin competition had 2,574 individual entries.  Of those, 211 entries were given special state recognition with a Silver Key, and 144 entries were awarded a Gold Key.  Out of 113 senior art portfolios submitted, 10 Silver Keys and 7 Gold Keys were awarded.  Gold Key artworks and portfolios will be sent to New York later this year and judged for national Silver and Gold Medals. A complete list of Wisconsin award winners can be found on the Scholastic Art & Writing Award website.

The Scholastic Art and Writing Awards celebrates its 100th anniversary this year. Since its inception in 1923, the annual program has been a space for teens to push boundaries and make waves with their creative pursuits. The award encourages the passions, talents, and perspectives of millions of teens, validating their creative abilities and the belief that their voices matter. Visitors are invited to explore the permanent collection galleries to discover and find inspiration in the work of past Scholastic Art Award recipients represented in the Museum’s collection, including many renowned American postwar and contemporary artists.

Access to the 2023 Scholastic Art Awards: Wisconsin Exhibition is free to the public.  A general admission charge is required to enter most Museum galleries and exhibition spaces.

Contributing sponsors are The Heller Foundation and Mary Ellen Heller in memory of Avis Heller, Peter and Debra Johnson, and an anonymous donor.

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 arts institution and home to collections spanning from antiquity to the present. 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 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.