ASHEVILLE, NC.- The Asheville Art Museum, its volunteer docents and the Asheville Area Section of the American Institute of Architects are pleased to announce the annual Western North Carolina Regional Scholastic Art Awards. Regional award recipients will be honored at a ceremony on Sunday, February 7 at 2:00 p.m. in Diana Wortham Theatre and the exhibition of their artwork will be on view at the Pack Place Community Gallery from January 22 to February 14, 2010.

The Asheville Art Museum, with the assistance of its volunteer docents, partners with the Asheville Area Section of the American Institute of Architects each year to sponsor the Western North Carolina Regional Scholastic Art Awards. Middle school and high school students from 20 Western North Carolina school districts are invited to submit work for this special juried competition.

The Museum regularly sends 20 to 25 gold award recipients’ work on to the National Scholastic Art Competition. In addition to the national awards, the Museum also selects one artwork that best represents Western North Carolina , which is placed on exhibition in the Governor’s Mansion in Raleigh.