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January 30, 2025

Students Earn Creative Recognition at 2025 WNC Scholastic Awards

Asheville School students have once again demonstrated their artistic excellence by earning top honors in this year’s Western North Carolina Scholastic Art Awards. Their work was recognized by a panel of creative professionals as among the most outstanding submissions in the region. Judged blindly based on Originality, Technical Skill, and the Emergence of a Personal Voice or Vision, these awards celebrate young artists who push creative boundaries.

This year, Asheville School students earned an impressive 62 of the 208 total awards presented to students across Western North Carolina. Notably, our students received approximately 40% of all Silver and Gold Key recognitions awarded in the region. Additionally, three Gold Key artworks from Asheville School were nominated for the prestigious American Visions National Award, highlighting the exceptional creativity and talent within our community. You can view the student art here.

Since 1923, the Scholastic Art Awards have recognized some of America’s most celebrated artists and writers while they were teenagers, including Tschabalala Self, Stephen King, Kay WalkingStick, Joyce Carol Oates, and Andy Warhol.

All awarded artworks will be presented digitally in the 2025 Western North Carolina Regional Art Awards exhibition at the Asheville Art Museum from February 14–May 5, 2025. Additional information about the exhibition at the Asheville Art Museum can be found here.

Asheville School students earned 12 Gold Keys, 19 Silver Keys, 26 Honorable Mentions, and three National American Vision Nominees. We are proud to celebrate the following students for their outstanding achievements:

Oli Centeno-Oxford ’26
Girl’s Best Friend – Honorable Mention (Painting)

Coby Chambers ’25
Town Night – Silver Key (Fashion)*

Wonjun Choi ’26
Transformation – Honorable Mention (Drawing and Illustration)

Yancy Gong ’26
Whispers of Dawn Meditation – Gold Key (Photography)** & American Visions Nominee***
A Devoted Reader – Silver Key (Photography)*
Her Smile – Silver Key (Photography)*
Revered Peak – Silver Key (Photography)*
Shared Gaze – Silver Key (Photography)*
Whisper of Wind – Silver Key (Photography)*
Aureate Glow – Honorable Mention (Photography)
Buddhist Radiance – Honorable Mention (Photography)
Dawn Prayers – Honorable Mention (Photography)
Incense of the People – Honorable Mention (Photography)
Shared Warmth – Honorable Mention (Photography)

Shruti Gupta ’25
Flames of Faith Rising On – Silver Key (Photography)*
Where Colors Whisper Stories and Flames Dance in Celebration – Silver Key (Photography)*
Divine Flames of Timeless Devotion – Honorable Mention (Photography)

Thomas He ’26
The Forgotten Realm – Gold Key (Digital Art)** 
Burdened Balance – Silver Key (Mixed Media)*
Haven – Silver Key (Painting)*
Misty Shoreline – Silver Key (Painting)*
Horizon – Honorable Mention (Drawing and Illustration)
Parcels – Honorable Mention (Drawing and Illustration)
Solitude – Honorable Mention (Photography)

Shelby Hippen ’25
Oh My Stars – Honorable Mention (Painting)

Charlie Jiang ’28
Frozen Dreams, Warming Nightmares – Gold Key (Painting)**

Nesya Klausner ’28
Burnt Out – Gold Key (Drawing and Illustration)**

Sophie Lankarani ’26
Papa – Silver Key (Photography)*
Solivagant – Honorable Mention (Photography)
Wanderlust – Honorable Mention (Photography)

Rain Li ’27
Tiger – Silver Key (Drawing and Illustration)*

Gillian McCormick ’26
Kaleidoscope – Honorable Mention (Drawing and Illustration)

Addison Pagano-Hopkins ’27
Ordinary – Silver Key (Drawing and Illustration)*

Sam Schenker ’26
CUDDLE TIME! – Gold Key (Photography)**
Nap Interrupted – Gold Key (Photography)**
New View – Gold Key (Photography)**
Purple Look – Gold Key (Photography)** & American Visions Nominee***
Nature Amid Industry – Honorable Mention (Photography)
The Lovers – Honorable Mention (Photography)
Triumph – Honorable Mention (Photography)

Griffen Stringfellow ’27
The Forgotten Tree – Honorable Mention (Drawing and Illustration)

Sol Swan Tuite ’26
Chameleon Hell – Silver Key (Expanded Projects)*

Amani Wachacha ’26
Lost Language – Honorable Mention (Drawing and Illustration)

Yoga Wang ’26
Vanitas 2027 – Silver Key (Drawing and Illustration)

Bel Witten ’28
Golden Hour – Honorable Mention (Painting)

Aileen Wu ’26
Look Up! – Honorable Mention (Drawing and Illustration)
Red Heritage – Honorable Mention (Mixed Media)

Jenn Xu ’25
The Ship of Theseus – Silver Key (Digital Art)*
A Typical American Face. Wait, Typical? – Honorable Mention (Digital Art)
Chewing on Childhood – Honorable Mention (Digital Art)

Vivian Yoo ’28
Composition with Large Red Plane, Yellow, Black, Blue, and Imperfection – Silver Key (Sculpture)*

Anna Yu ’25
Mitchell Hall – Gold Key (Painting)**
Navigation of Space – Gold Key (Art Portfolio)**
Nüshu – Gold Key (Architecture & Industrial Design)** & American Visions Nominee***
Reborn – Gold Key (Architecture & Industrial Design)**
GEOMETRIC SPACE UNDER THE NATURAL WORLD – Silver Key (Architecture & Industrial Design)*

Lydia Zheng ’27
Really Big – Honorable Mention (Drawing and Illustration)