Aspen High School student earns high award in scholastic art, writing

Aspen High School Elizabeth Foster has earned a prestigious gold key award in the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards for her piece, “Piscis Forum,” which is now on display at the Denver Art Museum. 

Her work will be judged at the national level, where top winners are awarded national medals.

The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards is the nation’s longest-running and most prestigious recognition program for creative students in grades 7–12. In Colorado, the program has been a cornerstone of artistic recognition since 1947. 

Each year, approximately 5,000 submissions from young artists across the state are entered into the Colorado Art Region of the competition. Through blind adjudication, judges evaluate works based on originality, technical skill, and the development of a unique artistic voice.

“I won the gold key for the regional Scholastic Awards, which will be judged in Denver at the Denver Art Museum for the national competition,” Foster said. “The story behind my piece is that I went to Shimukappu in Japan for an exchange program, and I took a photo of a fish market.”

She said she absolutely loved the colors, which she loves in art, and decided to make an oil on canvas painting of the photo. 

“I started doing this painting around November, and I heard about the Scholastic Award, so I wrapped up the painting for the deadline, which was in January,” she said. “The painting is 24 by 30 inches and is at the Denver Art Museum.”

She said she is a self-taught artist. Her father, Timothy Foster, said that she identified skills very early on, where she was able to capture colors and perspectives. 

Elizabeth is 16 years old and said that she plans to go into architecture in college. 

Gold Key winners like Foster advance to the national competition, where a panel of distinguished industry professionals determines recipients of Gold and Silver Medals, American Visions & Voices awards, and portfolio honors. 

Previous Scholastic Art Awards winners with ties to Colorado include Quang Ho, Dale Chrisman, Mel Silverman, Donald Lipski, Robert Redford, Hugh Grant, and Cal Duran.

Other Aspen High School Gold Key winners include Tunte Aurelia, Viola Graceann, and Gia Galindo-Bartley. Honorable Mentions include Evie Dziedzic and Kirilee Eklund.