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
Hosted by Plains Art Museum, and Red River Valley Writing Project at NDSU.
This project is supported in part by a grant from the North Dakota Council on the Arts, which receives funding from the state legislature and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Awards Ceremony
Sunday, March 8, 1-3 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.
top to bottom: Dexter Lee, Grade 12, Chasing, Portfolio Category (Art, Photography), Gold Key • Dayna Workman, Grade 12, With Glory is Guts, Ceramics & Glass, Gold Key
Explore the Gold Key, Silver Key, Honorable Mention, and American Vision & Voices Award winners from this year’s Scholastic Art & Writing Awards through three digital slideshows featuring visual art, writing, and film & animation. These presentations celebrate outstanding work by students across the state, highlighting the creativity, skill, and unique perspectives of young artists and writers. From drawing, painting, photography, and digital art to poetry, essays, stories, and original films and animations, each piece represents exceptional achievement and the powerful voices of emerging creatives.