2021 Scholastic Art Awards

Exhibition Dates:

February 5 – March 13, 2021
Warner and Jerome J. Crowley Community Galleries
(Museum hours: Wednesday – Sunday, noon – 5:00 p.m.)

Due to Covid-19 Numbers rising, we will not be having the annual Meet me in the Gallery event. However, we invite viewers to visit during our museum hours!
Wednesday – Sunday | 12:00–5:00 p.m.
Suggested Donation: Adults $5, under age 12 free. (SBMA & WVPE members admitted free)

2021 Virtual Awards Ceremony: Sunday, February 7
SBMA Facebook and Website 12:00 p.m. EST: Virtual Awards Ceremony will be posted to SBMA’s Facebook Page and Website along with a virtual tour of the exhibition.


For more than 90 years, The Scholastic Art & Writing Award program has sought to encourage, foster, and reward creativity in our nation’s classrooms and to confer recognition on emerging talent. Our region, which covers 18 counties, has participated for decades, beginning in the Tea Room of the former Robertson’s Department Store in downtown South Bend. L.S. Ayres hosted the exhibition until the South Bend Museum of Art became involved.

The South Bend Museum of Art is now the affiliate for the Scholastic Art Awards’ Northwest Indiana and Southwest Lower Michigan Region. This region includes the following counties: INDIANA counties of Benton, Cass, Elkhart, Fulton, Jasper, Kosciusko, Lake, LaPorte, Marshall, Newton, Porter, Pulaski, St. Joseph, Stark, White; and MICHIGAN counties of Berrien, Cass and St. Joseph.

The Scholastic Art Awards represents the most comprehensive national annual assessment of the creative spirit among American teens. Three core values have not changed since The Awards inception: freedom of expression, a blind adjudication process, and work criteria based on originality, technical proficiency, and emergence of personal voice. Students in seventh through twelfth grade submit digital images of their work, which is juried by more than 50 jurors solicited from the local arts and education community. A process of “blind adjudication” is used, whereby judging is determined on a merit basis with only the art object under review, without any knowledge as to student identity (gender, race, background, etc.). Jurors are instructed to select artwork that excels in 1) Originality, 2) Technical Skill, and 3) Emergence of a personal vision or voice.

Regional awards are given in several categories:

  • Gold Key: The highest level of achievement on the regional level.
    Approximately 5 – 7% of all regional submissions are recognized with Gold Key Awards and all are considered for national-level recognition.
  • Silver Key: Approximately 7 – 10% of all regional submissions are recognized with Silver Key Awards.
  • Honorable Mention: This Award recognizes students with artistic potential. Approximately 10 – 15% of all regional submissions receive Honorable Mention Awards.
  • American Vision & Voice Nominees: Five works are selected out of all Gold Key works (across categories) as the “Best of Show” for each region.

Digital images of all of our GOLD KEY Awards are sent on to National Adjudication in New York City. Award recipients at the national level are invited to participate in the Awards Ceremony held in New York City at Carnegie Hall, have their work shown in noted galleries, attend workshops, be considered for scholarships, and have their names included in the New York Times article covering the Scholastic Art Awards.

The SAA competition has strong positive impact in our community, showcasing the vast talent in our region, not only the talent of the students, but of the teachers and mentors who work with them to assure their excellence. Many young artists who have gone on to highly productive careers in the arts have received their first encouragement and recognition through the SAA program, which bolstered their confidence to pursue their dreams.

SAA is also the most heavily attended exhibition in the SBMA annual schedule (about 5000 visitors annually) and is intrinsically connected to our mission of supporting arts education for youth. There is not a single arts program for high school and middle school students which has the broad reach or lifelong educational impact of the Scholastic Art Awards and SBMA is committed to working with the local SAA board to keep it alive and vibrant in our region.

Support the Scholastic Art Awards!

Donate today!

The South Bend Museum of Art and the Scholastic Art Awards
Are pleased to acknowledge the following
2020–21 Donors as of January 25, 2021:

Foundations & Major Contributors
Jack & Yumiko Champaigne
Katie Humphreys & Ralph Komasinski
Kyle Everett
Hayes Family Foundation, Inc.
Community Foundation of St. Joseph County, ArtsEverywhere
Indiana Arts Commission
Zilky Charitable Trust

Organizations, Corporations & Award Sponsors
Jim Cooke
Docent Group of SBMA & Snite Museum of Art
Gail Schroeder
Janet L. Johnson
Indiana Women’s Caucus for Art
Northern Indiana Artists, Inc.
Northern Indiana Pastel Society
South Bend Hoosier Art Patrons
St. Joe Valley Watercolor Society
The Art League

Visual Voices and Portfolio Award Sponsor
University of Notre Dame Art Department

Scholarship Sponsor
Indiana University South Bend

Corporate Partnership
1st Source Bank Wealth Advisory Services

Vantage Society Members
Steve & Louise Anella
Deborah Bernhard
Janette Burkhart-Miller
Betsy & Jim Cooke
Michelle & Alan Engel
Tom & Susan Fischbach
Stephen & Barbara Fredman
Betsy Fulnecky
Gurley Leep Automotive Family
Rob-Henry Howes
Maggie Kernan
Douglas & Marjorie Kinsey
Michael & Maryellyn Knight
Charles S. Leone
Patrick & Sharon McManus
John & Barb Phair
Dick & Mary Reineke
David & Mitzi B. Sabato
Mary & Brown Sanders
William & Diane Sarnat
Joe Segura
Marika & Thomas Gordon Smith
Rebecca & Andrew Sommese
George C. Stump
Janet & Larry Thompson
Linda & Erik Waelchli
David Wemhoff
Nanci Yokom

Individuals
Mr. & Mrs. Don Arenz
Brent & Carolyn Banulis
Mr. & Mrs. George Beamer
Edward Beatty
Lynn Blue
Marsha Brook
Dayle Brown
John & Mary Ann Butkovich
Judith Chase
Lawrence & Jody Crandall
Alice Crowley
Karla Davenport
Julie Deahl
Linda DeCelles
Ninette Deliyannides
Ron Elizabeth DeWinter
Sharon Donlon
Diane reader Dorn
Debbie Dulcet
Lucy Emery
Angie Faccenda
Mr. & Mrs. John G. Farrell
Dr. & Mrs. Stephen Fredman
Helen & Michael Geglio
Mr. & Mrs. Anthony Germano
Dr. & Mrs. William Gitlin
Walter Gunn
Andrea Herrick
Christine Kelley
Douglas & Marjorie Kinsey
William & Julia Knight
William & Sue Lamie
Michael Lampsa
Dr. & Mrs. David T. Leighton
Kelly Lesiuk
Mr. & Mrs. Tim Link
Dr. & Mrs. William Lopatin
Phoebe Lykowski
Joe & Gail Mancini
Bruce & Kay Marshall
Claudia A. Maslowski
Ronald May
Raymond McLein
Tami McNally
Dr. & Mrs. Michael McCrea
Dr. & Mrs. Stephen McTigue
Suzanne Miller
Rose Mireles
Dr. Christopher S. Norborg
Scott H. Peacock & Tonya Weber
Mr. & Mrs. Timothy Phelan
Mr. & Mrs. Robert Plasschaert
Yupadi Prasertwanitch
Sheila Przybysz
Dick & Mary Reineke
Mr. & Mrs. Charles Rosenberg
Mr. & Mrs. L. Brown Sanders
Jan Seabaugh
Lynda B. Simon
Marika & Thomas Gordon Smith
William Spalding
Mr. & Mrs. Don Sporleder
Jeanette S. & Laurence R. Taylor
Ann Tideman & John Falda
Mr. & Mrs. Brad Toothaker
Rebecca Torstrick
Mrs. James Walton
Linda & Erik Waelchli
Judy Wenig-Horswell
Thomas Werge
Barbara Wind
Mark Wobbe
Nanci Yokom
Elizabeth Zapf

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2021 Scholastic Art Awards

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