Milton’s Artists and Writers Recognized for Outstanding Work
Thirty-eight Milton students received recognition—Gold Key, Silver Key or Honorable Mention—in the Massachusetts Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards began in 1923 and are considered the most prestigious arts awards for teenagers in the country. All Gold Key award work is submitted to the national scholastic competition.
Aditya Gandhi ’18 won a Gold Key and Honorable Mention in poetry. “My interest in writing comes mostly from reading literature. I owe thanks to all my English teachers, but especially to Mr. Connolly. The two poems of mine that were recognized deal largely with identity and how it is shaped by culture and society.”
Tony Xu ’17 won a Gold Key award for his painting titled “Fish Guts.” “My interest in painting, specifically this type of realism painting, was inspired by visits to the fresh food markets in China as a kid, and also by my own interest in exploring grotesque and detailed images using oils. Brian Kim’s (’16) works last year were also an inspiration. I created this painting from a photograph of a real model that I made after purchasing a fish from the market.”
Caroline Massey ’18 won Silver and Gold Keys for photography and a Silver Key in art. “I’ve taken photography at Milton since my sophomore year and fell in love with the medium. Working with photography gives me an appreciation for and fascination with people and light, and these two things ultimately became the main focus of my work. ‘Eleanor,’ my Gold Key photo, is a picture of my cousin Eleanor sitting in a pool with her head tilted upside down toward the camera. My cousin is my favorite subject to photograph— she’s always a very enthusiastic, cooperative and goofy model!”
Hannah Neri ’18 won an Honorable Mention, Silver Key and Gold Key for her photography as well. “My family likes to travel a lot, so photography is a great, portable way to document our trips and the different cultures, in a way that is unique to me. My photography is inspired by the people and places around me. All three recognized photographs were taken on trips—two of them when I was in Malawi visiting an orphan school and one of them in Bologna, Italy.”