More than 450 students recognized at the Pinellas County Art Region Scholastic Art & Writing Awards ceremony

The 2026 Pinellas County Art Region of The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards honored 451 middle and high school students with 777 awards.

Students were recognized with Honorable Mention, Silver Key, and Gold Key awards. The ceremony was held in the Grand Theatre at Gibbs High School on Feb. 12. All students were honored for their creative works, which were displayed on a large screen. The awarded artwork, films, & animations can be viewed in the PCS Student Virtual Gallery.
 
Each work receiving a Gold Key award has been forwarded to the national blind adjudication. Pinellas County Schools has produced 137 national medalists over the last 10 years. Since 1923, the Awards program has been the nation’s longest-running, most prestigious educational initiative supporting student achievement in the visual arts. 
 
The top local awards were presented to students by the Mainsail Art Festival, Mahaffey Apartments, Raymond James, the Pinellas Art Education Association (PAEA), the Professional Association of Visual Artists (PAVA), and the Art Festival Beth-El during the ceremony. Nearly $9,000 was awarded to students this year.