Above: Lincoln Academy’s 2026 Scholastic Art Award Winners. Top: “Flower” by senior Lex Gale. Left: “Natural Death in Chickens” by senior Lee MacCorkle. Right: “Every Second” by junior Caroline Roberts.
Three Lincoln Academy visual artists have been recognized for their work by the annual Scholastic Art Awards.
Since 1923, the Scholastic Arts’ mission has been to identify students with exceptional artistic and literary talent and present their remarkable work to the world through the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. Through the Awards, students (teens in grades 7-12 from public, private, or home schools) receive opportunities for recognition, exhibition, publication, and scholarships.
Currently in its 103rd year, the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards is the nation’s longest-running and most prestigious recognition initiative for creative teens.
Maine students are invited to submit creative and original work to any of the Awards’ eighteen creative categories, including architecture, photography, sculpture, comic art, painting, video game design, fashion, and more. At each level of judging, all works are selected to move on to the next stage based on the same three criteria that have represented the program since its founding in 1923: originality, technical skill, and emergence of personal vision or voice.
This year in Maine, five panels of jurors reviewed and judged over 800 works of art and portfolios in 17 categories for the Maine Region Scholastic Art Awards Competition Of the total submissions, 15% received Honorable Mentions, 10% received Silver Key Awards, and 5% received Gold Key Awards.
At Lincoln Academy, three students submitted work and won awards in 2026. Senior Lee McCorkle won an Honorable Mention in the senior portfolio category. Lee is a student in AP 2D Art & Design. Senior Lex Gale ‘27 won a Silver Key for work in the Digital Painting, Drawing & Collage category entitled “Flower.” Junior Caroline Roberts won a Gold Key in the Digital Painting, Drawing & Collage category for her piece “Every Second.”
Scholastic Arts Awards winners get a scholarship to attend either one of MECA&D summer programs, or first year of a degree program at the college. Many of the award winning pieces will be on display at the Lincoln Academy Student Art Exhibition from April 9-25 at Coastal Rivers’ Denny Conservation and Education Center at 3 Round Top Lane in Damariscotta, which has its opening reception on Friday, April 9 from 5 – 7pm.
Additionally, Caroline Robert’s work was one of 42 selected by a jury of professional artists on February 20 to be displayed at the Capitol Complex this spring in the Maine Excellence in Arts Education Exhibition. The Maine Arts Commission, an independent state agency that supports the arts in Maine, has collaborated with Maine Collage of Art & Design (MECA&D), the Scholastic Art & Literary Awards, and Maine’s two congressional offices to display this excellent work at the capitol, sharing with lawmakers and government officials the amazing creativity of our high school students around the state, with support from their wonderful teachers.
This work will be exhibited from March 18– May 28, 2026 at the Capitol Complex in Augusta, in the Cross Office Building behind the State House. Viewers are welcome to visit the exhibit any weekday between 9-5 to view the exhibition.
