2026 Scholastic

Art & Writing Awards Exhibition

February 16, 2026 - March 8, 2026

Xcel Energy Gallery

This annual exhibition celebrates the creativity, vision, and talent of North Dakota’s teen visual artists and writers. Since 2015, Plains Art Museum and the Red River Valley Writing Project have partnered as the state affiliate for the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards—one of the nation’s longest-running and most prestigious programs recognizing young creators in grades 7–12. The mission of the Awards is to identify and celebrate exceptional artistic and literary talent and share it with a national audience. For more information, visit artandwriting.org

Awards Ceremony
Sunday, March 8, 5:30-8 PM
Join us as we honor the 2026 North Dakota Scholastic Art & Writing Award recipients. This special afternoon celebrates the achievements of young visual artists and writers, with selected works featured in the Museum’s Xcel Gallery. Hosted by Plains Art Museum, North Dakota State University, and the Red River Valley Writing Project.

Ongoing Exhibitions

Convergence:

Ongoing
Convergence:
Hope, Love, Resilience, Rest, Community

This installation was created specifically for the atrium at Plains Art Museum as part of the exhibition Convergence: Health & Creativity. Inspired by Labovitz’s research on the psychological benefits of art, this piece celebrates the connection between art and well-being.

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S.P.A.C.E. 2024-2026

Ongoing
S.P.A.C.E. 2024-2026

The S.P.A.C.E. (Sculpture Pad Art Collaborative Experiment) project is a public art initiative led by Plains Art Museum in collaboration with NDSU, MSUM, and Concordia College. Sculptures are displayed for two years.

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No Time For Despair

Ongoing
No Time For Despair

To say that right now is the ideal time to make art that speaks directly to the people about social justice is an understatement. Because the very nature of art is to undertake or assume the role of a healer by shading light on the human condition.

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Bee in Flight

Ongoing
Bee in Flight

Community artist and school art teacher MeLissa Kossick, who guides youth classes at the Museum on art, gardens, and pollinators, has created an enchanting mosaic design in the Creativity Pathway in the Serkland Gallery called Bee in Flight.

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Fragile Preservation

Ongoing
Fragile Preservation
A Tallgrass Community

While the Tallgrass Prairie is a community made up of a great diversity of species, Fragile Preservation represents a selection of them.

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