Academy students earned honors in this year’s New Mexico Scholastic Art Competition, presented by the New Mexico Art Education Association (NMAEA) in partnership with the national Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. Dozens of student works were recognized across all three award categories — Gold Key, Silver Key, and Honorable Mention, showcasing a wide range of creative voices and artistic talent.
The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards is the nation’s longest-running and most prestigious recognition program for creative teens, with more than 185,000 works submitted annually by students in grades 7-12. Winners advance to national adjudication, with top recipients celebrated during events later in the spring and summer.
This year’s statewide awards exhibition and reception are scheduled as follows:
- Exhibition Opening: Artwork is on display at the Orpheum Community Hub in Albuquerque, beginning February 6, with the exhibition running through February 28.
- Awards Recognition Ceremony: February 28 at the South Broadway Cultural Center in Albuquerque. (Ceremony start times vary by student’s last name: A-L at 5 p.m. and M-Z at 6:30 p.m.)
GOLD KEY WINNERS
Architecture & Industrial Design
Aidan Koudelka ’26
Ceramics & Glass
Bria Kaye ’28
Mixed Media
Lucía Loya ’27
Painting
Sabina Cottrill ’27
Mackenzie Hines ’27
Jeanette Oliva ’28
SILVER KEY WINNERS
Ceramics & Glass
Callia Jesurun ’27 (3)
Comic Art
Patrick Ao ’27
Mixed Media
Mackenzie Hines ’27
Painting
Jeanette Oliva ’28
Anabelle Madrid ’28
L. Delaney ’28
Mackenzie Hines ’27
Printmaking
Audrey Finkelstein ’27
Sculpture
Bella Padilla ’27
Lilah Durbin ’27
HONORABLE MENTION
Architecture & Industrial Design
Jet Branch ’27
Digital Painting, Drawing & Collage
Kai Gehres ’27
Cate Gentry ’29
Mixed Media
Kristina Lane ’27
Nagi Wigh ’26
Ann Shelton ’29
Painting
Grady Sullivan ’28 (2)
Kira Kampschmidt ’27
Jeanette Oliva ’28
Ann Shelton ’29
Sandy Chen ’28
Sculpture
Callia Jesurun ’27
Lilah Durbin ’27
Ezra Bieniarz ’29
Luke Ozuna ’29
For more information about the program and the official awards calendar, visit the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards regional page.
