New Hampton School’s talented student-artists received notifications this week about their art submissions to the New Hampshire Scholastic Art Awards. This year, we are excited to share the news that 19 students were recognized. Please join us in congratulating these students for their artistic achievements.
Celebrating artistic voice
Students across the state may choose to submit their best art pieces to the Scholastic Art Awards of New Hampshire (SAANH) for consideration for a Gold Key, Silver Key, or Honorable Mention award. The Scholastic Art Awards of New Hampshire is a regional visual arts affiliate of the prestigious national Scholastic Arts & Writing Awards. This non-profit organization welcomes submissions and evaluates pieces from public, private, and parochial schools from grades 7-12 in 17 different visual art categories. The call for submissions goes out each September, and entries are accepted through December.
Faculty members assist students in selecting works that meet the judging criteria and then create high-resolution digital files of the works to submit. Schools are notified in early January with the award listings. The 19 New Hampton School students recognized this year achieved a total of 30 award recognitions. Their works cover a wide array of mediums, including ceramics, photography, digital art, and more. Of the thousands of submissions received statewide, only approximately 40% receive recognition, and a maximum of 7% are able to receive Gold Keys according to the award’s rules, highlighting the competitiveness of the competition and the high caliber of art submitted annually.
Gaining Exposure
Select artworks from the Gold Key winners are curated into a special exhibition, as arranged by the New Hampshire Institute of Art. This offers further exposure for student-artists among their statewide peers. All of our student-artists will be recognized formally at a statewide awards ceremony on Sunday, February 8, in Pinkerton Academy’s Stockbridge Theater.
The six students from New Hampton School who achieved a regional Gold Key award will have their pieces judged on the national level in the coming weeks. This year’s national winners will be announced online by Scholastic Arts & Writing Awards in March.
Please join us in congratulating the following student-artists for their contributions and achievements in the art community.
NH Scholastic Art Awards Honorees
2026 Gold Key Awards
Katelyn Edson ’27 – Experimental Photography: Source of Light
Jessie Jiang ’27 – Photography: From war to wonder
Jessie Jiang ’27 – Photography: Blueprints of light
Ava Smith ’27 – Printmaking: Media Never Stops
Isabella Fowler ’28 – Photography: Petals in the Static
Xinhao Zhang ’28 – Photography: Architectural Geometry
Xinhao Zhang ’28 – Photography: Architectural Geometry
Koda Chipman ’29 – Experimental Photography: Dazed
2026 Silver Key Awards
Asa Gilman ’26 – Ceramics & Glass: Reach
Fionna McNamara ’26 – Photography: Ghost image
Riley Proulx ’26 – Ceramics & Glass: Desert Arc
James DeBenedictis ’27 – Ceramics & Glass: Portsmouth Skyline
Katelyn Edson ’27 – Experimental Photography: Explosive Magic
Sarah Pollard ’27 – Sculpture: The Blood of Roses
Ava Smith ’27 – Experimental Photography: You’re Not Pretty
Isabella Fowler ’28 – Photography: Shadows that speak in Riddles
2026 Honorable Mentions
Lola Gallo ’26 – Ceramics & Glass: L for Love
Asa Gilman ’26 – Ceramics & Glass: Stretch
Asa Gilman ’26 – Mixed Media: Shared Roots
Asa Gilman ’26 – Painting: Rooted strength
Norah Lee ’26 – Portfolio: Works from 2025 by Norah Lee
Inaya Robinson-Wood ’27 – Photography: Uncertainty
Inaya Robinson-Wood ’27 – Photography: Paths
Lisa Wang ’27 – Ceramics & Glass: Wind in the Garden
Lisa Wang ’27 – Ceramics & Glass: Flight of the Butterfly
Eric Zhang ’27 – Drawing: Cat by Street
Mila Cabot-Jones ’28 – Experimental Photography: Me, Mila
Merritt Fitch ’28 – Photography: Filmed in Silence
Isabella Fowler ’28 – Photography: Hand2Mane
Mary Ludwig ’28 – Painting: Quack
