This exhibition features more than 600 works of art and writing by New York City teens who received the highest regional recognition in the 2017 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. The Met is again honored to host this yearly exhibition and celebrate the creativity of these young artists.

This year almost 4,000 students in grades 7 through 12 submitted nearly 11,000 works to the New York City Region of the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, encompassing more than 300 schools in all five boroughs. In addition, about 300 literary and visual arts professionals served as judges, selecting works based on originality, technical skill, and emergence of a personal voice or vision.

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 recognition, exhibition, publication, and scholarships. Established in 1923, the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards bring the work of young people to regional and national audiences. Former recipients include artists Andy Warhol, Cy Twombly, Kay WalkingStick, and John Baldessari—all represented in The Met collection—and writers Sylvia Plath, Truman Capote, Maya Goldberg, and Joyce Carol Oates.