King Students Earn Scholastic Art And Writing Awards

The Alliance for Young Artists & Writers has selected eight King School students for Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. The awards are the nation’s longest-running and most prestigious recognition for creative teens and boast a long list of notable alumni, including Cy Twombly, Lena Dunham, Stephen King, and Amanda Gorman.

Two of King's visual artists were recognized for their work.

Senior artist Maddy Beck, an avid advocate for women’s rights, won a Gold Key for her sculpture “FeminiTEA,” a visual representation of women breaking domestic stereotypes, and a Silver Key for “HERoic,” a portfolio that explores the arc of women's challenges and progress throughout history and today.

Ellie Wayland, also an artist in her senior year at King, earned a Silver Key for her digital artwork “Cityscape.” The piece is part of a science fiction story she is developing using an iPad, and the software program Procreate.

King’s art program stresses the importance of creative thinking and artistic expression. Students are encouraged to use critical thinking and explore unique ways of executing their work. Their learning journey is supported by exposure to the history of art and work from artists around the globe. Reflection and class critiques further strengthen artistic growth.

“My art teachers at King have really been the ones to help foster my passion for art,” Beck said. “They have pushed me to think outside the box, encouraged me, and helped me take my art to a more sophisticated level.”

Five students collected awards in the argumentative writing category. Junior Brian Karle earned a Silver Key for his piece “Turning Pages,” and seniors Eli Lowe and Chloe Zange earned Silver Keys. Lowe’s piece "Queer Coding: An Incomplete Picture" analyzes the topic of queer coding in media. Zange’s “Vibrant, Complex, and Queer” presents a case for queer characters reduced to stereotypes and villains in media.

Juniors Antonia Kolb and Catie Harvey also earned awards in the argumentative writing category, each taking home an honorable mention.

Sophomore Madeleine Prather earned a poetry award for "Pink Paint," a free-verse poem about realizing that as one changes and grows, so does life all around.

The school’s English department offers a wide-ranging, culturally diverse selection of literature that encourages students to explore the human condition. To prepare students to navigate this increasingly complex world, classes engage in conversations that address topics including race, ethnicity, gender, and sexuality.

With guidance and encouragement, students develop cultural awareness critical to their understanding of themselves and the wider world. They also find their voice and gain confidence.

“I applied to this competition because I wanted to put myself out there and share writing that I was proud of with others,” said Lowe. “I found the things that I researched to be incredibly interesting, and I am happy that others saw it that way too. It is really special to me that they appreciated this essay about a topic that means a lot to me.”

The Alliance for Young Artists & Writers is a nonprofit organization committed to identifying students with exceptional artistic and literary talent and raising the visibility of their work through the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. The awards give students opportunities for recognition, exhibition, publication, and scholarships. Jurors review entries without knowledge of the student’s gender, age, ethnicity, or hometown, looking instead for originality, skill, and the emergence of a personal vision.

King School is an independent day school in Stamford, CT, educating students in PreK through Grade 12. Students at King engage in an immersive and innovative curriculum that is anchored in an inquiry-based pedagogy that nurtures curiosity, intellectual growth, and character development.