On Feb 14, the University of Nevada, Reno and the Nevada Museum of Arts hosted the 2026 Scholastic Art Awards Ceremony. Over 250 students from northern Nevada received awards, in grades 7-12. Awards given included the Gold Key Award, the Silver Key Award, and the American Visions Award, as well as The Wild Women Emerging Artist Award. The event was sponsored by the Nell J Redfield Foundation, Heidi Marie Rocklin, Peet Family Charitable Foundation, and the Wild Women artists.
Silver Key awards were given to students whose artwork demonstrated strong creativity, technical skill, and artistic promise. Gold Key awards were given to the strongest works in the region, from which five works were chosen for the American Visions Award. In addition, the Nevada Museum of Art awarded $1,000 scholarships to seniors with outstanding portfolios, to support their continued education in the arts.
American Visions Award winners included Ethan Watson from Academy of Arts, Careers and Technology, Anne Huang from the Davidson Academy, Anastasia Treadway from Sage Ridge, Cherry Florescu from Spanish springs, and Susie Su Jin Park.
Ethan Watson spoke about their art piece titled “Reflections” (shown on right), stating, “I think it's important to reflect on yourself and what you put out into the world. And I wanted to share that through my art.”
Five students received the $1,000 scholarship from the Nevada Museum of Arts, including Roya Galehzan from Spanish Springs High School, Addison Buckner from Douglas High School, Madison Cason from Galena High School, Caden Billenberg from Davidson Academy, and Ali Edmonds from the Davidson Academy.
Roya Galehzan was awarded the scholarship for her portfolio, “In My Room.” She explained the inspiration behind her artwork, stating, “it was a sophomore year portfolio just about how I expressed myself, how I lived through my emotions, but they were all versions of me in my room.” (Artwork from In My Room portfolio show below)
In addition to these awards, one student was nominated for The Wild Women Emerging Artist Award. This is a special honor selected each year by a collective of 13 local artists to recognize and encourage a promising young artist. This year, the award was presented to Zoe Fagan, a sophomore at Douglas High School, in honor of the late Kathleen Durham, a founding member of the Wild Women artists group.
During the ceremony, guest speaker Sogand Tabatabaei, a Reno-based visual artist and arts educator, shared her journey from growing up in Tehran to earning her bachelor’s degree in painting and completing her MFA at the University of Nevada, Reno. Through her collage-based work, she explores memory, identity, and cultural heritage, emphasizing the importance of consistency, curiosity, and documenting one’s creative process.
During her speech, she encouraged students to protect their creativity, take risks, and remain persistent, reminding them that talent matters less than dedication, and that a successful arts career is built through consistency and strong community support.
Tabatabaei encouraged students who wanting to pursue a career in art by stating, “The biggest risk isn't failing in the arts. The biggest risk is abandoning something that is part of you. An inner need. You can always change direction in life. What is much harder is trying to rediscover a passion you left behind.”
The Gold Key artworks are on display at Sheppard Contemporary and University Galleries on the University of Nevada, Reno campus, while the American Visions nominees and additional award-winning works are on view at the Nevada Museum of Art’s E. L. Cord Museum School. All exhibitions are open to the public through Feb. 21.
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