The U.S. Department of Education and the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers today opened two student art exhibitions to showcase The Scholastic Art & Writing Award recipients of 2007, featuring nationally recognized work from students across the country, and regionally recognized work from Miami-Dade County. The Alliance, a national nonprofit organization committed to bringing outstanding visual art and writing created by young people to a national audience, loaned the 42 pieces of art and 6 writing selections to the Department of Education to display in its headquarters lobby. Acting Director for Regional Services at the U.S. Department of Education, Kristine Cohn greeted award winners and addressed the guests at the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

"The arts help to foster imagination and creativity in our students that can cultivate innovation in math, science, history and other subjects for students," said Kristine Cohn. "We are fortunate to have these enriching examples of art on display at the Department of Education, where we are reminded daily of the high standards students and teachers are striving for and meeting. Congratulations on your outstanding achievement."

The artwork included in the exhibition received national recognition in the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards of 2007, and was recently on display at Reeves Contemporary in the heart of the Chelsea art district in New York City. Curated by a committee from the Department of Education, the exhibit opened today with a ribbon cutting ceremony at the Education Department's headquarters in Washington, D.C. Among those scheduled to attend the event were: Andrea Peterson, 2007 National Teacher of the Year; Kristine Cohn, Acting Director for Regional Services at the Department of Education; Bryan Doerries, Senior Manager, National Programs, Alliance for Young Artists & Writers; Michael Bell, Assistant Superintendent, Miami-Dade County Public Schools; Mabel Morales, District Supervisor of Miami-Dade County Public Schools; many young artists whose works are part of the exhibits and their families, and members of arts organizations in the nation's capital. The nationally recognized work from The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards of 2007 will be open to public viewing by appointment through August 2008, and the regionally recognized Gold Key Miami-Dade County Region art and writing will be on display until November 1, 2007.

"For nearly 85 years, The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards have inspired countless teenagers to prepare and submit their best work to be evaluated by creative professionals," said Bryan Doerries, Senior Manager, National Programs at the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers. "The Alliance is delighted to be working once again with the U.S. Department of Education to showcase the accomplishments of the next generation of American artists and writers in Washington D.C."

The U.S. Department of Education art exhibit program at its headquarters in Washington, D.C., provides students and teachers an opportunity to display creative work from the classroom in a highly public space in order to honor this work as an effective path to learning and knowledge for all. The exhibit program also provides an opportunity to keep ED's leaders and staff in touch with students, families and educators and to give visibility, via visitors and the media, to the importance of the arts in education. Finally, in bringing such accomplished examples of creativity to its space, the Department enhances its employees' work environment and reminds staff and visitors of its principal customer—the students of America. Now in its fourth year, the Department of Education's art exhibit program is open to schools and organizations around the country involved in arts education.

About the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards and the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers

The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards program continues to provide a platform for creative expression for millions of students across the country. The Alliance brings outstanding visual art and writing created by teenagers to a national audience and encourages their creative journey and career development. In addition to awarding annual scholarships to top portfolio award recipients, the Alliance collaborates with colleges across the country that make an additional $1.5 million in financial aid available to award recipients with exceptional promise.

Since Scholastic founded the program in 1923, The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards have showcased the highest level of achievement in the arts in our nation's schools. The Awards have honored distinguished past recipients such as Richard Avedon, Andy Warhol, Robert Redford, Truman Capote, Sylvia Plath, Cy Twombly, Joyce Maynard, Joyce Carol Oates, Philip Pearlstein and Bernard Malamud, all of whom were recognized by the program when they were in high school. The Awards program and the work of the Alliance are made possible through the support of Scholastic Inc., the Title Sponsor. Presenting Sponsors include The New York Times Company, Accenture, Command Web Offset, CDW-G and Hewlett Packard. Generous leadership support is also provided by The Maurice R. Robinson Fund, the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation and The Jacques and Natasha Gelman Trust.

For more information on how to submit art and writing to the Alliance, please visit www.artandwriting.org

Note to Editors: Student interviews, samples of student artwork and a complete list of the art on display are available upon request.

To visit the exhibit, contact either Marilyn Joyner at 202-401-1669 or marilyn.joyner@ed.gov or Jackye Zimmermann at 202-401-0762 or jacquelyn.zimmermann@ed.gov

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