Plains Art Museum and Red River Valley Writing Project at NDSU have announced the regional award recipients of the 2017 Scholastic Art and Writing Awards. Teens from across North Dakota will be honored at the state awards ceremony, scheduled for Saturday, March 4, from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Plains Art Museum, Fargo.
Kent Sandstrom, dean of NDSU’s College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, will be the featured speaker during the event. North Dakota teacher and published poet Nancy Devine will read from her work, and the Fargo South Jazz Combo is set to perform during the reception from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
Presented by the Alliance for Young Artists and Writers, the awards are the country's longest-running and most prestigious scholarship and recognition program for creative students in grades 7–12.
This program year, more than 330,000 works of art and writing were submitted to 118 affiliate regions across the country. In North Dakota, about 400 works were submitted —double from the previous year.
“There is tremendous youth talent in the fields of art and writing in the state of North Dakota, and we are grateful that the awards provide an opportunity for us to recognize that talent in a meaningful way,” said Kelly Sassi, director of the Red River Valley Writing Project.
A total of 83 North Dakota teens received regional honors, including Gold Keys, Silver Keys, Honorable Mentions, or American Visions and Voices nominations, from the local affiliate including:
Art award winners
· Katelyn Arman, Fargo North High School, Fargo. American Visions nominee, Gold Key, two Honorable Mentions.
· Kaylee Bartram, Kindred High School, Kindred. Honorable Mention.
· Mickayla Beckman, Fargo North High School, Fargo. Honorable Mention.
· Micheala Dale, Grand Forks Central High School, Grand Forks. Two Gold Keys, four Honorable Mentions.
· Emily Dencker, Grand Forks Central High School, Grand Forks. Silver Key, two Honorable Mentions.
· Sophia Dorsher, Grand Forks Central High School, Grand Forks. American Visions nominee, Gold Key, three Honorable Mentions.
· Leighton Fitch, Kindred High School, Hickson. Honorable Mention.
· Josie Hell, Fargo North High School, Fargo. Honorable Mention.
· Anna Hendrickson, Grand Forks Central High School, Grand Forks. Three Honorable Mentions.
· Zach Howatt, Northern Cass Public School, Argusville. Two Honorable Mentions.
· Taylor Johnson, Erik Ramstad Middle School, Minot. Honorable Mention.
· Ellen Kenninger, Fargo North High School, Fargo. Honorable Mention.
· Joanna Larson, Grand Forks Central High School, Grand Forks. Honorable Mention.
· Shania Lunski, Fargo North High School, Fargo. Honorable Mention.
· Benjamin Miller, Fargo North High School, Fargo. Honorable Mention.
· Emmy Mirzai, St. Mary's Central High School, Bismarck. Two Honorable Mentions.
· Katie Morrau, Fargo South High School, Fargo. Honorable Mention.
· Alysha Moser, Lake Area Career and Tech Center, Devils Lake. Honorable Mention.
· Ellie Noah, Shanley-Sullivan School, Fargo. Honorable Mention.
· Emily Plutowski, Minto School, Minto. Honorable Mention.
· Greta Rehder, Fargo North High School, Fargo. Silver Key.
· Alessandro Sassi, Fargo South High School, Fargo. Silver Key.
· Kelly Schlagel, Fargo South High School, Fargo. American Visions nominee, Gold Key, Honorable Mention.
· Jerry Sherven, Kindred High School, Walcott. Honorable Mention.
· Elina Smith, Fargo South High School, Fargo. Silver Key.
· Elise Spears, Turtle Mountain Community Middle School, Rolla. Honorable Mention.
· Elaina Springer, Fargo North High School, Fargo. Honorable Mention.
· Megan Tichy, Maple Valley High School, Tower City. Two American Visions nominations, three Gold Keys, three Silver Keys, four Honorable Mentions.
· Rebeca Trautman, Central Cass Public School, Casselton. Honorable Mention.
· McKenna Truhlicka, Fargo North High School, Fargo. Honorable Mention.
· Alexandria Weber, Grand Forks Central High School, Grand Forks. Two Silver Keys, two Honorable Mentions.
· Koszette Zakula, Fargo North High School, Fargo. Honorable Mention.
Writing award winners
· Gus Aaland, Kindred High School, Christine. Silver Key.
· Scobie Bathie, Fargo North High School, Fargo. Silver Key.
· Tiffany Brunelle, Turtle Mountain Community Middle School, Belcourt. Gold Key.
· Bennett Carter, Park River Area High School, Inkster. Silver Key.
· Michelle Chadraa, Davies High School, Fargo. Silver Key.
· Gracyn Cole, Park River Area High School, Park River. Honorable Mention.
· Lenora Combs, Divide Co High School, Noonan. Gold Key, three Silver Keys, Honorable Mention.
· Tonya Conway, Circle of Nations School, Wahpeton. Honorable Mention.
· Morgan Depute, Mls-Mohall Public School, Mohall. Two Silver Keys.
· Zoie Frattin, Valley Middle School, Grand Forks. Honorable Mention.
· Emily Frovarp, Park River Area High School, Park River. Gold Key.
· Alison Gaarsland, Fargo South High School, Fargo. Gold Key.
· Kaitlyn Gabrielson, Valley Middle School, Grand Forks. Silver Key.
· Atlantis Hanks, Circle of Nations School, Wahpeton. Honorable Mention.
· Hunter Harrington, Fargo North High School, Fargo. Silver Key.
· Zach Howatt, Northern Cass Public School, Argusville. Two Gold Keys, Silver Key.
· Jarod Jeglum, Divide Co High School, Crosby. Honorable Mention.
· Alyssa Jordahl, Kindred High School, Leonard. Honorable Mention.
· Beatrice Kjelland, Park River Area High School, Park River. Silver Key.
· Jessica Klein, Hazen Middle School, Hazen. Honorable Mention.
· Patrick Loar, Valley Middle School, Grand Forks. Gold Key.
· Evelynn Longtine, Valley Middle School, Grand Forks. Honorable Mention.
· Sydney Lunde, Kindred High School, Kindred. Silver Key.
· Toni McHugo, Davies High School, Fargo. Honorable Mention.
· Esperance Mfurakazi, Fargo South High School, Fargo. Gold Key.
· Maris Miller, Park River Area High School, Park River. Honorable Mention.
· Eahia Mohamed Ali, Fargo South High School, Fargo. Honorable Mention.
· Brigid O'Keefe, Fargo North High School, Fargo. Two Honorable Mentions.
· Cheyenne Olien, Kindred High School, Davenport. Gold Key.
· Karl Olson, Circle of Nations School, Wahpeton. Silver Key.
· Ifedayo Omotunde, Park River Area High School, Park River. Two Silver Keys.
· Osman Osman, Fargo South High School, Fargo. Silver Key.
· Emilya Parker, Divide Co High School, Larson. Silver Key.
· Abigail Petersen, Ashley School, Ashley. Honorable Mention.
· Emma Pickrel, Davies High School, Fargo. Honorable Mention.
· Cheyenne Powless, Circle of Nations School, Wahpeton. Honorable Mention.
· Melissa Pratt, Kindred High School, Kindred. Gold Key.
· Jules Regen, White Shield Public School, Parshall. Honorable Mention.
· Faith Ritchie, Grand Forks Central High School, Grand Forks. Two Honorable Mentions.
· Coltan Roquet, Fargo North High School, Fargo. Gold Key.
· MaKenna Rott, Kindred High School, Walcott. Silver Key.
· Alessandro Sassi, Fargo South High School, Fargo. Three Gold Keys, Silver Key, three Honorable Mentions.
· Anushka Sikdar, Cheney Middle School, Fargo. Honorable Mention.
· Tanessa Skadberg, Watford City High School, Watford City. Gold Key.
· Hannah Slater, Fargo North High School, Fargo. Silver Key.
· Dayton Snow, Circle of Nations School, Wahpeton. Honorable Mention.
· Casey Solseng, Park River Area High School, Park River. Silver Key.
· Rebeca Trautman, Central Cass Public School, Casselton. Silver Key, Honorable Mention.
· Braden Vetter, Sheyenne High School, Fargo. Two Honorable Mentions.
· Anna Wurzer, Davies High School, Fargo. Two Gold Keys, two Silver Keys, Honorable Mention.
· Tobias Zikmund, Park River Area High School, Pisek. Honorable Mention.
For more information about the Alliance for Young Artists and Writers or the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards, visit the Scholastic News Room. For information about the North Dakota region awards, email kelly.sassi@ndsu.edu.
