6 Creative Students Awarded $6,000 in Montgomery County

6 Montgomery County Students
Recognized for Creative Excellence 

The Arts and Humanities Council of Montgomery County (AHCMC) is thrilled to recognize six Montgomery County high school students for the 2022 – 2023 High School Student Awards. Allison Xu won the Fran Abrams Creative Writing Award and received $1,500 plus professional mentorship from author, Myna Chang. Sebastian Tulin won the Ida F. Haimovicz Visual Arts Award and also received $1,500 and professional mentorship from AHCMC’s Public Art Manager, Flannery Winchester. Lucy Bole and Meredith Abramson were awarded runners-up for the Fran Abrams Creative Writing Award and Ella Spirtas and Olivia Ensign were awarded runners-up for the Ida F. Haimovicz Visual Arts Award. All four runners-up received $750 each and a one-on-one meeting with the mentors.  

Allison Xu, Fran Abrams Creative Writing Award Recipient

Sebastian Tulin, Ida F. Haimovicz Visual Arts Award

Allison Xu, a Walter Johnson High School junior, has a strong passion for creative writing. As Montgomery County’s 2023 Youth Poet Laureate she performs at festivals, events, and libraries, and her work has been featured in literary journals such as Blue Marble Review, Paper Lanterns, and The Daphne Review. Sebastian Tulin, a junior at Winston Churchill High School, has explored the art of photography since the 7th grade. He is taking AP photography classes and has participated in a summer photography program in New York City. His award-winning portraiture and street photography often explore themes of isolation and the human condition. 

An awards ceremony celebrating the primary winners and their achievements is scheduled for Wednesday, May 17th, 2023, at 6:00 p.m. in the Betty Mae Kramer Gallery and Music Room. The ceremony will feature select readings of Allison’s work and serve as the opening reception for Sebastian’s solo exhibition Surrounded by Solitude. The award ceremony is free and open to the public. Tickets can be reserved at: https://bit.ly/3VyC20j

For more information about the Fran Abrams Creative Writing Awardees click here.

For more information about the Ida F. Haimovicz Visual Arts Awardees click here.

To learn more about the High School Student Awards Ceremony, visit: https://bit.ly/3VyC20j

** Masks are encouraged for all guests, regardless of vaccination status. Outside food and beverages are not permitted in the gallery with the exception of water. **