Schools
Bridgewater-Raritan Art Students Earn 20 Scholastic Art Awards
Four students from Bridgewater-Raritan High School received Gold Keys and will advance to the national competition in New York City.
BRIDGEWATER, NJ — Nine art students from Bridgewater-Raritan High School have been honored with 20 awards in the 2026 Scholastic Art Awards program. The awards recognize artistic talent among creative teens across the nation.
Sarah Nasson, Bridgewater-Raritan High School's Art Teacher and Advisor to the National Art Honor Society, explained that the Scholastic Art Awards is the nation's longest-running and most prestigious recognition program for creative teens. This program celebrates original student work in visual art, writing, and media arts. Each year, around 2,000 students submit artwork to the South Jersey region alone.
The Appel Farm Arts & Music Center, located in Upper Pittsgrove Township, Salem County, partnered with the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers to present these awards to the Bridgewater-Raritan students.
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Four of the nine Bridgewater-Raritan art students received Gold Keys in the Scholastic Art Awards. These students are Lucia Bolle for "Acceptance," Nana Esquivel-Barrantes for "Obligate Parasite," Suzanne Lu for "Lao-Lao's Rosary," and Julia Li for "What's Cooking?" Students who earn a Gold Key are automatically considered for National Awards, including Gold Medal, Silver Medal, and scholarship awards. The Gold Key works will be judged at the national level in New York City next month.
Nasson stated that "students' work was reviewed and recognized by a panel of creative professionals, and awarded for its outstanding merit in originality, skill, and the emergence of a personal voice and vision."
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Other award recipients include Lucia Bolle (Silver Key, Honorable Mention), Nana Esquivel-Barrantes (Silver Key, Honorable Mention), Suzanna Lu (Silver Key), Kajsa Mostow (Honorable Mention), Angela Zhou (Silver Key, Honorable Mention), Leila Zhou (Silver Key, Honorable Mention), and Lauren Yang (Honorable Mention). Teachers Jason Draine and Angela Morin also instructed honored students.
These awards highlight the artistic achievements of Bridgewater-Raritan High School students and their educators.
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