The month of October brings many wonderful things – a chill in the autumn air, a parade of costumed trick-or-treaters, apple picking, and National Arts & Humanities month! Started in 1993 to encourage Americans to explore new facets of the arts and humanities in their lives, and to begin a lifelong habit of participation in the arts and humanities, this is a month the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards celebrate whole heartedly. As entries continue to decorate our desktops and satisfy our literary ear, we are lucky to have Blick Art Materials & Utrecht Art Supplies as a sponsor and as a partner in supporting the arts and the humanities.
Each year Blick generously supports the Scholastic Awards by donating gift certificates that are presented at regional ceremonies and awarded to our national medalist art educators (no small feat! This adds up to nearly $70,000 of support!). Blick is also an annual sponsor of a Gold Medal Art Portfolio Award, where the recipient receives a $10,000 academic award. Among the recent Blick Art Materials & Utrecht Art Supplies Art Portfolio Gold Medalists are 2014 medalist Ellie Braun, 2013 medalist Alex Reynolds, and 2012 medalist Sarah Devlin. Their continued support of the Scholastic Awards allows for diverse benefits to the arts, from enabling educators to purchase art supplies for their classrooms to giving students the confidence to pursue their creative dreams.
The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards are currently open for submissions, and in the spirit of National Arts & Humanities Month, join the Awards and Blick in supporting the future generation of artists. Do you know a creative teen? Hop on to the Blick website and check out the artist’s resource page for fun project ideas, product highlights and featured artists. Are you an educator looking for support? Head over to the teaching resources page for lesson plans, art room aid, and school discount information.
To learn more about National Arts & Humanities Month, click here. No matter how you choose to show your support for the arts and humanities this month, we hope you will help recognize the immense contributions of our partners at Blick and the arts and cultural organizations, businesses, and the young artists and writers in your community!
