The Metropolitan Museum of Art to Exhibit Recognized Works from New York City Participants in the 2025 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards

Exhibition Dates: March 28–May 18, 2025, 2025
Location: The Met Fifth Avenue, Ruth and Harold D. Uris Center for Education

The Alliance for Young Artists & Writers, the presenter of the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, today announced the 10th annual New York City Scholastic Art & Writing Awards Gold Key exhibition, to be held at The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Ruth and Harold D. Uris Center for Education.

The exhibition will be free and open to the public during regular Museum hours from March 28 through May 18, 2025. More information about the exhibition can be found here.

This special exhibition features 316 original works of teen art and 300 original works of teen writing, which were selected from nearly 14,500 submissions by more than 2,500 teens in grades 7–12, from over 250 schools in all five boroughs. The exhibition at The Met will display original works in the Painting, Printmaking, and Drawing and Illustration categories. All writing works can be accessed virtually, while printed reproductions and projected visuals of all other artworks will be prominently showcased in the Museum’s Carson Family Hall.

All works featured in the exhibition received top regional awards—the Gold Key—by New York City–based participants in the 2025 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, the country’s longest-running and most prestigious scholarship and recognition program for creative teens. Gold Key–winning works are eligible to receive national honors through a second round of judging, which can provide additional opportunities for exhibition and publication as well as access to scholarships.

Heidi Holder, Frederick P. and Sandra P. Rose Chair of Education, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, said: “I see visitors to the New York City Scholastic Art & Writing Awards exhibition taking photos, pointing out their favorite paintings, drawings, and sculptures to family and friends—enthralled by the remarkable talent and imagination of these young artists. The Metropolitan Museum of Art is delighted to host this annual exhibition that supports artistic expression, a key pillar in understanding oneself and our changing world. The vision of these artists excites us and viewers who will continue to visit the exhibition. We’re so proud to play a part in this.”

“The works featured in this year’s 2025 New York City regional exhibition showcase a wide variety of subjects, styles, and media, but all brim with exceptional creativity and reflect the exhilaratingly bold, original visions of today’s teens,” said Christopher Wisniewski, Executive Director, Alliance for Young Artists & Writers. “The Alliance for Young Artists & Writers could not be more proud to once again work with The Met to celebrate the city’s courageous young creatives and share their accomplishments with an international audience.”

To celebrate the student writers and artists featured in the exhibition, the Museum will be hosting a private opening reception for students, family members, educators, and friends on Friday, March 28, featuring keynote remarks from contemporary artist and 2022 Scholastic Awards Alumni Achievement Award recipient Derek Fordjour, whose work was featured in The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s recent exhibition, Flight into Egypt: Black Artists and Ancient Egypt, 1876–Now.

The 2025 New York City Scholastic Art & Writing Awards exhibition at The Met is presented with generous support from Scholastic Inc., Maurice R. Robinson Fund, Public Funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council, Dedalus Foundation, Arthur F. and Alice E. Adams Charitable Foundation, Cornelia T. Bailey Foundation, Robert Lehman Foundation, AEO Better World Foundation, and the Cowles Charitable Trust.

To learn more about the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers and the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, visit www.artandwriting.org, or connect on Instagram @artandwriting #goldkey.

Image: Madeline Berberian-Hutchinson, Bleeding Seeds. Gold Key, Digital Art, 2025. Grade 12, Stuyvesant High School, New York, NY. William Wrigley, educator.