Former Jefferson High School artist Yareidi Zarate was named a NATIONAL GOLD MEDAL recipient in the Drawing and Illustration division of the 2023 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards sponsored by the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers.
Yareidi's NATIONAL GOLD MEDAL award places her in the nation’s top 1% of all high school artists! The Scholastic Art and Writing Awards program is the nation’s longest-running and most prestigious recognition program for creative teens in grades 7–12.
Yareidi's artwork ("Drowning Beauty", Pastel) was exhibited in New York City at Scholastic INC*. Yareidi’s pastel drawing addresses environmental issues symbolized with plastic encasing and suffocating nature which includes a female figure representing mother nature. Nationals award winners were recognized on June 8th at Carnegie Hall in New York City. Guest artists and presenters included fashion designer Derek Fordjour, author Joyce Carol Oates, and actor Derek Luke.
The Scholastic Awards have helped foster the creativity and talent of millions of students across the United States. Alumni of the Awards have gone on to become leaders in their fields, including Andy Warhol, Truman Capote, Richard Avedon, Philip Pearlstein, and Sylvia Plath. More recently, Stephen King, Richard Linklater, Zac Posen, and Lena Dunham received Scholastic Art & Writing Awards as teens.
Yareidi attended the ceremony and exhibition in New York with her parents and siblings. She is currently a freshman at Rockford University majoring in Education and minoring in Art.
Lynn Stockton is an art teacher at Jefferson High School where she teaches AP Studio Art and is the Team Lead for the Business Academy.