The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards’ national office in New York City is dedicated to growing and supporting our Affiliate Partners across the country. Our Affiliate Partners are doing great work in their communities, and we love hearing about their outreach efforts, their students, and their programs. This month, we shine the spotlight on the Community Memorial Museum of Sutter County in California, which manages the Northern California Art Region. Here’s what the staff at Community Memorial Museum had to say about Awards activity in their region:

The Community Memorial Museum of Sutter County is proud to be the new Scholastic Awards Affiliate Partner in California!

Our Museum was founded in 1975 and is located in Yuba City, California. We are a department of Sutter County, and we are supported by a nonprofit organization, the Museum Commission. We have permanent exhibits on early life in Sutter County, Nisenan Maidu Indians, agricultural history of the area, and a multicultural wing that includes exhibits on communities in our area, including Hmong American, Japanese American, Punjabi American, Chinese American, and Mexican American. We host 4-6 rotating exhibits per year.

It may seem odd for a history museum is to be affiliated with an art awards program, but we believe that the arts are an important part of a great community. We are here to celebrate the past, but also to celebrate our community—that’s why “community” is the first word of our name. As such, hosting the Scholastic Awards is a great fit. Not only will we be offering more opportunities to our community’s youth, we will be expanding our audience, and the more people who know about the Museum, the better!

This year, we will be hosting the Scholastic Art Awards for seven counties: Colusa, Nevada, Placer, Sierra, Sutter, Yolo, and Yuba. We are hoping to expand that in future years. Also, keep an eye out for a Northern California Affiliate for Writing in the next year or two!

We are still putting the finishing touches on our first-year schedule for the Awards, but keep a close eye on our Affiliate page. We’ll be posting new information in early fall.

While the Museum is new to hosting the Scholastic Awards, the staff at the Museum is not. The Director, Jessica Hougen, is a former employee of the Springs Preserve, which is the Scholastic Awards Affiliate for art and writing in Southern Nevada.

We are excited to bring the Scholastic Art Awards to Northern California!

The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards are proud to work with organizations like the Community Memorial Museum of Sutter County to help talented students receive recognition for their creative efforts. By partnering together, the Community Memorial Museum of Sutter County and the Scholastic Awards give our youth the support they need to become lasting members of their art and writing communities.