The Mississippi School of the Arts congratulates junior and senior artists for their awarded achievements in the 2021 Scholastic Art & Writing Regional Competition. The works of theses talented young artists receiving American Voices Nominations, American Visions, Gold Key, Silver Key, and Honorable Mention are being recognized in the regional Mississippi competition. American Voices, American Visions and Gold Key recipients will advance to the national competition this summer.

Literary Arts

  • Maleigh Crespo of Foxworth: 1 of only 5 American Voices nominations, 1 Silver Key for Senior Portfolio, 2 Gold Keys, 7 Silver Keys, and 4 Honorable Mentions
  • Hannah Hays of Brandon: 1 Silver Key for Senior Portfolio, 1 Silver Key and 2  Honorable Mentions.
  • Morgan Love of Jackson: 1 Silver Key for Senior Portfolio, 1 Gold Key, 4 Silver Keys, and 3 Honorable Mentions.
  • Azya Lyons of Jackson: 1 Silver Key for Senior Portfolio, 1 Honorable Mention for Senior Portfolio, 1 Gold Key, 5 Silver Keys, and 1 Honorable Mention.
  • Callie Matthews of Meridian: 1 Honorable Mention for Senior Portfolio, 3 Gold Keys, 8 Silver Keys, and 2 Honorable Mentions.
  • Stephyne Weathersby of Byram: 1 Honorable Mention for Senior Portfolio, 2 Gold Keys, 4 Silver Keys, and 2 Honorable Mentions.
  • Brianna Cox of Lumberton: 2 Silver Keys, 2 Honorable Mentions.
  • Katie Spiers of Hattiesburg: 3 Silver Keys and 2 Honorable Mentions.
  • Lauren Stamps of Mt. Olive: 2 Gold Keys and 2  Honorable Mentions.
  • Sydney Knotts of Soso: 1 Silver Key and 3  Honorable Mentions.
  • Taylor Lafayette of Benoit: 1 Silver Key.
  • Diego Mendez of Wesson: 4 Silver Keys and 1 Honorable Mention.
  • Madison White of Summit: 1 Silver Key and 4 Honorable Mentions.
  • Lillian Denney of Picayune: 2 Honorable Mentions.

Students from all over Mississippi competed in the Mississippi Regional Competition. Categories included critical essay, dramatic script, flash fiction, humor, journalism, novel writing, personal essay and memoir, poetry, science fiction and fantasy, short story, and for seniors only, writing portfolio. The submissions are juried by artists in the field. Among the thousands of writings submitted, only a small percentage will go to the national level. Jurors look for works that exemplify the Awards’ core values: originality, technical skill, and the emergence of personal voice or vision.

The regional awards ceremony will take place in April, at the Eudora Welty House in Jackson, MS.

Visual Arts

  • Donald Spraggins of Bogue Chitto: 1 Gold Key and 1 Silver Key
  • Emily Leggett of Ocean Springs: 1 Gold Key, 1 Silver Key, and 1 Honorable Mention.
  • Zoe Hart of Silver Creek: 1 Silver Key.
  • Angel Poole of Newton: 1 Silver Key.
  • Sydney Harrison of Toomsuba: 1 Silver Key and 3 Honorable Mentions.
  • Abrielle Carnathan of Tupelo: 2 Silver Keys and 2 Honorable Mentions.
  • Isabella Gandy of Southaven: 2 Silver Keys and 2 Honorable Mentions.
  • Caleb Donegan of Gulfport: 1 Honorable Mention.
  • Sonia Matrick of Crystal Springs: 1 Honorable Mention.
  • Chaney McDade of Scooba: 1 Honorable Mention
  • Cate Simmons of Meridian: 1 Honorable Mention.
  • Mayleen Candelario of Vancleave: 1 Gold Key
  • Roslyn Walker of Newton: 1 Honorable Mention.

The work of the talented young artists receiving American Vision and Gold and Silver Keys will be on display through the Mississippi Museum of Art in Jackson as part of the exhibition for the Scholastic Art Awards Competition. Due to the pandemic and protocols in place, students had to submit scanned images of their work to be juried. 

The awards ceremony will take place March 21st via a premiered event on the MS Museum of Art’s facebook page.