This exhibition features nearly 250 works of art by New York City teens who received the highest regional recognition in the 2021 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards—the Gold Key Award. Presented by the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers, the Scholastic Awards are the longest-running and most prestigious recognition program for creative teens in the United States. The Met is honored to again host this year’s exhibition and celebrate the creativity of these young artists.

This year more than 2,500 students in grades 7 through 12 submitted close to 10,000 works to the New York City Region of the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, encompassing over 200 schools in all five boroughs. More than 100 literary and visual arts professionals served as judges, selecting works based on originality, technical skill, and emergence of a personal voice or vision. This year’s exhibition presents framed prints of the students’ work due to ongoing restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic and to ensure equitable access for all the student artists.

The Alliance for Young Artists & Writers’ mission is to identify students with exceptional artistic and literary talent and present their visionary work to the world through recognition, exhibition, publication, and scholarships. Established in 1923, the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards bring the work of young people to regional and national audiences. Former recipients include artists Andy Warhol, Cy Twombly, Kay WalkingStick, and John Baldessari—all represented in The Met collection—and writers Sylvia Plath, Truman Capote, and Joyce Carol Oates. To learn more about the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers and the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, visit artandwriting.org, contact info@artandwriting.org, or connect on Instagram @artandwriting and use #goldkey.