Four Upper School visual art and photography students have been recognized in the 2024 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, including two — Autumn Campbell ’24 and Grace McDaniel ’24 — who won a prestigious Gold Key.

Grace also won a Silver Key and an Honorable Mention.

The program, established in 1923, encourages and celebrates creativity and arts education in seventh through 12th grades in the United States, U.S. territories and Canada. Participants are eligible for public exhibitions and scholarships. Regional Gold and Silver Key recipients will have their work exhibited locally. Gold Key winners advance to competition for the national awards.

Congratulations to these students for their accomplishments:

• Grace McDaniel ’24, Gold Key, “Movere” Portfolio

• Autumn Campbell ’24, Gold Key, “Scrutiny,” Photography

• Grace McDaniel ’24, Silver Key, “At the Surface,” Photography

• Grace McDaniel ’24, Honorable Mention, “Fruit Distortion,” Painting

• Laurel Caplan ’24, Honorable Mention, “Uncertainty & Randomness” Portfolio

• Nick Degiacinto ’25, Honorable Mention, “Serengeti,” Photography

Upper School visual art and photography teacher Erin Stelling said, “Every year, the Scholastic Art Awards recognize excellence in traditional art forms alongside adventurous experimentation and risk-taking. Each of these students pushes the boundaries of both traditional and alternative processes in their art and photography. Each work embraces the spirit of creativity and innovation, inviting viewers to discover and explore their own imagination.”

Both of Ravenscroft’s Gold Key winners said the award is a meaningful acknowledgement of the thought they put into their art.

Autumn said of her winning photograph, “Scrutiny,” “I was inspired by the discomfort I saw others experience when they felt they were being critically observed. I was thrilled to learn I won a Gold Key, and I was ready to share that excitement with my parents.”

“I have submitted my artwork to the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards every year since eighth grade, so when I learned that I earned a Gold Key, I was ecstatic to finally feel like my work was recognized!” Grace said. “In my portfolio, I explored my ability to capture emotion through different types of movement: water dripping, a dancer jumping and even darkroom chemicals flowing. This portfolio is meaningful to me because it brings together my individual works in an intriguing way that makes me excited to continue my artwork at Ravenscroft and beyond.”