It’s hard to believe that when the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards were begun in 1923 there were just six entries. This year, 185,000 works of art and writing were submitted to the Awards by students in grades 7 – 12 from around the country and in American schools abroad. Professional artists and writers were put to task selecting those that best exemplified our time-honored criteria of originality, technical skill and the emergence of a personal vision or voice. And when they were finished, we were wowed by another year of artistic and literary excellence.

Tonight our 2011 National Award winners join an elite group of alumni including Richard Avedon, Truman Capote, Sylvia Plath, Zac Posen, Robert Redford, Kay WalkingStick, Philip Pearlstein, Andy Warhol and the accomplished alumnus who will receive our Alumni Achievement Award, the renowned conceptual artist John Baldessari.

This year’s winners have distinguished themselves as the most creative, original and innovative teens through their bold accomplishments in art and in writing. And tonight we are honored to honor them at Carnegie Hall—the most celebrated stage in the nation—where they will be recognized before their parents, teachers and peers as a member of a select group of our nation’s most promising young visionaries.

The Awards are presented by the nonprofit Alliance for Young Artists & Writers through the combined efforts of our 107 regional affiliates and our generous supporters, including our founding sponsor, Scholastic Inc., as well as the incredible teachers and parents behind each and every award winner.

To celebrate the accomplishments of this year’s winners and to honor the impressive legacy of the Scholastic Awards, the Empire State Building will be lit in gold this evening. In addition, Mayor Bloomberg has officially proclaimed May 31, 2011, as Scholastic Art & Writing Awards Day. The Mayor and the Empire State Building join the Alliance staff and board in our congratulations.

And to all young artists and writers out there, nurture your skills, follow your passions and always honor your creative self. We wish you success along the way and look forward to your promising future.