Every year many young artists in the United States submit their artwork to Scholastic, the American multinational publishing, education, and media company, in hopes of winning a recognition award. Scholastic offers several awards catered to art and writing, one of which is the Gold Key Award. According to Scholastic, “approximately 7 – 10% of all regional submissions are recognized with Gold Key Awards” meaning that this award isn’t exactly easily obtainable with competition being tough. Nonetheless, Oak Hills High School is home to several astounding Gold Key winners. Let’s take a deep dive into the amazing artwork of these artists, the skill they hone, and the dedication they bestow.
Molly Audretch, class of 2025, has had numerous art pieces win a Scholastic Gold Key Award including but not limited to, two charcoal pieces titled “Catharsis” which is a self-portrait and base for the second charcoal piece, “Fertile Grounds.” In addition to these pieces, there is a Prismacolor still life titled, “Saying Goodbye” which relates to her daily ritual of tap dancing, one of her passions. Finally the last piece I want to mention is a set of 3 relief print pieces called “Fight or Flight: An Allegory for War.” This piece took direct inspiration from 20th-century war propaganda and discusses the impact of war. There’s no doubt that Audretch is an incredible artist with how she uses her art to beautifully display aspects of her life as well as themes important to her.
Bee Moorman, class of 2027, and first-time Scholastic Gold Key winner is the proud artist of “The Spirit Within” which is a multi-media art piece composed of pencil, alcohol markers, Prismacolor pencils, and metallic markers. The piece resembles that of stained glass and has connections to religion, which was an important theme to Moorman. The piece also features a fox because it’s Moorman’s favorite animal and what they would consider their spirit animal. When asked about how Moorman felt about winning a Scholastic Gold Key, Moorman responded, “I’ve never won anything for my art before and I thought it was really cool and I felt very special seeing I actually won a big prize for my art.” While this may be their first award, it could be the start of many more to come.
Lydia Wilson, class of 2026 is a first-time Scholastic Gold Key winner. Her award-winning piece, “Messy Morning” is composed of graphite, bristle board, charcoal, and white gel pen. Wilson spent about a month on this piece and despite her frustration at times, she persevered and fabricated this amazing piece. When asked about winning a Scholastic Gold Key, she responded, “I have not won a Gold Key award before, I was surprised that this piece had won because of all of the other artworks I had seen. I was extremely proud of myself because a Gold Key is pretty hard to get.” Many artists will often find themselves intimidated by competition but Wilson’s commitment is not only to be admirable but also inspirational. Let Wilson’s art be your sign if you’re an artist struggling with motivation or intimidation to preserve.
Sydney Overbay, class of 2025 has won 2 Scholastic Gold Keys. Not only that but the two she won were awarded to the first works she ever submitted to Scholastic. Her pieces include a recycled wear piece, sculpted of only recycled and reused materials. It is mainly composed of newspaper, rope, duct tape, tissue paper, ribbon, and other paper. While both pieces are considered functional, the other winning piece is more casual wear. Overbay’s other winning piece is a functional two-piece matching set sewed herself. For this piece she used a sewing machine, thread, cotton fabric, buttons, vintage sewing patterns, a zipper, and lace trim. Overbay’s inspiration for this piece comes from a unique place. She says, “I was inspired by a swimsuit I saw in a 1967 Sears catalog and wanted to try to recreate it as an outfit rather than a swimsuit for a concert I was going to (Stephen Sanchez).” Overbay’s artwork is that of creativity and craftsmanship and she is surely one to be inspired by.
Oak Hills High School has a plethora of art classes to help its students hone their artistic talents. These four artists are just a glimpse into the possibilities of what can be achieved through hard work and dedication to the craft. While the chances of earning a Scholastic Gold Key are slim, you shouldn’t find yourself discouraged completely. By looking at the work of our peers, we can find ourselves inspired to try new things or push ourselves through our art-making process. Consider this the next time you pick up a pencil or see an outfit you wish you had. Artistry will truly open doors when given the opportunity.