Congratulations to the following Vikings for being honored by the North Dakota Scholastic Art and Writing Awards.
According to the Scholastic website entries are selected for awards without knowledge of the participant’s gender, age, ethnicity, or hometown by some of the foremost leaders in the visual and literary arts. Many Scholastic Awards alumni have lent their expertise as jurors, such as Marc Brown, Kay WalkingStick, Michael Bierut, Philip Pearlstein, and Edward Sorel. Other notable jurors include Langston Hughes, Judy Blume, Billy Collins, Edwidge Danticat, David Sedaris, Nikki Giovanni, Mickalene Thomas, Willie Cole, James Warhola, Ocean Vuong, Elizabeth Acevedo, and Tina Mabry. This is the nation's longest-running, most prestigious recognition program for creative teens.
Jurors look for works that exemplify the Awards' core values originality, skill, and the emergence of a personal voice or vision.
The writing students will be recognized at the Plains Arts Museum in February with an "Author's Reading". All award recipients will gather at the Plains Art Museum in March for the State Awards Ceremony. Gold Key art work will be on display at the Plains Art Museum in Fargo February 16 –March 8, 2026.
Scholastic Writing Awards:
Riley Nielsen – 11th Grade - Google Search History – Flash Fiction – Silver Key, and The Race – Personal Essay – Gold Key
Carson Gette – 12th Grade - Sh*t Happens – Personal Essay – Gold Key
Maximillian Bernier – 12th Grade - Steve – Personal Essay – Silver Key
Lyla Kittelson – 12th Grade - Toxic – Personal Essay – Silver Key
Ashley Haas – 12th Grade - I wondered, I Hoped, I Figured – Personal Essay – Honorable Mention
Scholastic Art Awards:
Dexter Lee – 12th Grade
Art in Motion – Senior Portfolio (six works) – Gold Key
Caught in Headlights – Photography – Silver Key
Leaning – Photography – Honorable Mention
Lydia Lange – 11th Grade
Edwardo Atticus II – Ceramics & Glass – Gold Key (American Visions Award)
Zoe Richard – 11th Grade
Pour Your Heart Out – Ceramics & Glass – Gold Key (American Visions Award)
Kaiyah Bundy – 9th Grade
Reflections – Photography – Gold Key (American Visions Award)
Serenity – Photography – Silver Key
Benjamin Pfeifer – 12th Grade
Life Moves Pretty Fast – Experimental Photography – Gold Key
I Love Lamp – Experimental Photography – Gold Key
Scan Test 4 – Experimental Photography – Silver Key
Ashley Haas – 12th Grade
Behind The Eyes – Photography – Silver Key Award
Mallory Keller – 10th Grade
Sunset Promises – Photography – Honorable Mention
Where Childhood Pauses – Photography – Honorable Mention
*Thank you to the Kindred Area Arts Partnership for sponsoring the student entries into the competition.
*Thank you to t
he Red River Valley Writing Project, a local site of the the National Writing Project, a professional development organization focused on improving writing and the teaching of writing. We partner with schools, museums, and libraries to create exciting programs for youth that leverage the power of writing to inspire and extend learning beyond the school walls. The RRVWP, in partnership with the Plains Art Museum, coordinates the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards for the entire state of North Dakota.