Bennington Young Artists Awards
Part of the Bennington College Young Creators Awards
The Bennington College Young Artists Awards celebrate exceptional high school students in grades 9-12 whose work demonstrates creativity, personal voice, and synthesis of materials and ideas.
Open to students worldwide, these awards are free to enter and offer cash prizes up to $2,000, recognition, publication, or showcase opportunities, and scholarships for students who enroll at Bennington College.
Submissions open September 1. In the meantime, sign up to receive updates.
About the Award
The Bennington Young Artists Awards recognize the next generation of artists whose work challenges conventions, explores new ideas, and reflects a distinct point of view.
Whether you are creating a painting, sculpture, photograph, digital work, film, or mixed-media, we want to see work that demonstrates creativity, thoughtfulness, and a willingness to take risks.
For generations, Bennington College has been a place where exceptional artists have found their voice, challenged the canon, and created work that shaped modern and contemporary art culture. Among them:
- Helen Frankenthaler: Frankenthaler was a major contributor to the history of postwar American painting, a leader in the Abstract Expressionists movement, and is widely recognized as one of the greatest painters of the twentieth century. Pioneering the “stain” painting technique, she poured thinned paint directly onto raw, unprimed canvas laid on the studio floor, working from all sides to create floating fields of translucent color.
- Sally Mann: Mann has won numerous awards, including NEA, NEH, and Guggenheim Foundation grants, and her work is held by major institutions internationally. In 2001 Mann was named “America’s Best Photographer” by Time magazine.
- Odili Donald Odita: Odita’s large-scale abstract paintings explore color both in the figurative historical context and in the sociopolitical sense. His paintings and installations have been exhibited by some of the country's leading museums and established him as one of the most influential contemporary abstract artists of his generation.
Why Bennington College?
At Bennington College, art is made, tested, performed, revised, and reimagined. Students work closely with faculty, collaborate across disciplines, and shape their own paths through painting, drawing, sculpture, photography, animation, video, sound, performance, and design.
The Bennington Young Artists Awards invite high school students into that same spirit.
Submission Categories and What to Submit
Students may submit work in one category.
Category 1: 2-Dimensional
Submit documentation of one original 2-dimensional painting, drawing, collage, photograph, blueprint, digital illustration, or mixed media work.
Students should submit one high-resolution image of the work. You may also include a short description of up to 500 words explaining your concept and process.
Category 2: 3-Dimensional
Submit documentation of one original 3-dimensional sculpture, model, ceramic piece, or mixed media work.
Students should submit up to three high-resolution images of the work. You may also include a short description of up to 500 words explaining your concept and process.
Category 3: Digital Media
Submit one original digital media work. This may include sound, video art, film, animation, or other digital media. Submissions should be 1-2 minutes long. Accepted formats include .MP4 or .MOV files for video, and .MP3 or WAV for audio.
You may also include a short description of up to 500 words explaining your concept and process.
Requirements and Submissions
Eligibility and Requirements
- There is no entry fee.
- Only one submission per discipline award is allowed per student.
- Select only one submission category to enter.
- Open to students in grades 9–12 worldwide.
- All entries must be original work and will be reviewed for authenticity.
- Entries must be reviewed and approved by a sponsoring teacher or mentor.
- Grade 12 students must submit through the Common Application or Coalition Application process (no application fees required, non-binding, no supplemental essays required). Once the application is complete, we will send a follow-up email with YCA submission instructions. Since so many YCA participants also apply to Bennington, this approach allows students to submit their college and YCA applications through a single process.
- Students who have already graduated from high school are not eligible.
Please review our FAQs for additional information.
Submission Guidelines
Your entry should be one original artwork submitted in one of the three categories: 2-dimensional (2D) work, 3-dimensional (3D) work, or digital media. Please see each submission category for additional information.
All entries must be reviewed and approved by a high school sponsor teacher. We will use your sponsoring teacher as a contact for the competition should we have any questions. For homeschooled students, please contact a mentor to sponsor your art work.
How Entries are Evaluated
A panel of Bennington faculty and students will review submissions for originality, quality of work, and the strength of the artistic perspective demonstrated. The pool will be narrowed to finalists.
Judging Criteria:
- Originality of the work
- Strength of concept and artistic voice
- Creative risk-taking and experimentation
- Craft, technique, and use of materials or medium
- Engagement with complexity, meaning, or process
Awards, Scholarships, and Recognition
Cash Prizes (per category)
- First place: $2,000
- Second place: $1,000
- Third place: $500
Distinguished Submissions
- Distinguished designation by category and grade level: $250
- Particularly strong submissions of original work may be selected for this designation. While these submissions may not have been selected for the top three composition prizes, students whose quality is distinguished amongst other entries will be recognized.
Scholarships
- First Place Winners who enroll at Bennington receive a full-tuition scholarship for four years
- Distinguished Designation Recipients who enroll receive a half-tuition scholarship for four years
- Finalists who enroll receive a $25,000 annual scholarship for four years.
Publication and Showcase
- Winning and distinguished entries may be featured on Bennington's website, social media channels, publications, and other showcase opportunities throughout the year.
- These entries will remain the property of the student.
Important Dates and Deadlines
| Date | Milestone |
|---|---|
| September 1 | Submissions open |
| November 1 | Submission deadline |
| November - December | Round 1 judging (faculty / student panel) |
| January | Round 2 judging (external panel); winners selected |
| Spring | Award winners announced; press release; winning entries published and/or showcased |
Questions
If you have questions about eligibility, submissions, or awards, we’re happy to help.
