This exhibition features more than 500 works of art and writing by New York City teens who received the highest regional recognition in the 2026 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards—the Gold Key Award. Presented by the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers, the Scholastic Awards are the longest-running and most prestigious recognition program for creative teens in the United States.
This year, 4,000 teens in grades 7–12 entered more than 17,000 works, representing 200 schools in all five boroughs.
The Alliance for Young Artists & Writers’ mission is to identify students with exceptional artistic and literary talent and present their visionary work to the world through opportunities for recognition, exhibition, publication, and scholarships. Former winners include artists Andy Warhol, Cy Twombly, Kay WalkingStick, and John Baldessari—all represented in The Met collection—as well as Tschabalala Self, Stephen King, José Parlá, Amanda Gorman, Charles White, and Joyce Carol Oates.
To learn more about the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers and the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, visit artandwriting.org or connect on Instagram @artandwriting and use #GoldKey.
See a complete list of 2026 New York City Scholastic art award recipients and writing award recipients.
The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards are presented by the 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers, and are made possible through the generosity of Scholastic Inc., Maurice R. Robinson Fund, Public Funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council, Robert Lehman Foundation, AEO Better World Foundation, and the Cowles Charitable Trust.