"The Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery has unveiled the winners of its 2025 Teen Portrait Competition, showcasing powerful portraits created by young artists who use photography to explore identity, pressure, and modern adolescence."
"Top honors went to Maryland's Matilda Myers and California's Kate Stermer, each recognized for concept‑driven work that feels remarkably mature. Myers won the 13-15 category with Rest, a striking portrait of a ballerina holding a pickaxe, while Stermer topped the 16-17 group with The Cost of Conformity, a haunting image of a girl manipulating symbols of success like marionettes."
"All 19 finalists will have their work featured in a video installation at the National Portrait Gallery from January 24 to August 30, 2026, offering visitors a glimpse into the voices shaping the future of portrait photography."
Open to teens ages 13 to 17 across the U.S. and its territories, the competition highlights a new generation of portrait makers who approach photography with boldness and emotional depth. Top honors went to Maryland's Matilda Myers in the 13–15 category for Rest, a striking portrait of a ballerina holding a pickaxe, and to California's Kate Stermer in the 16–17 group for The Cost of Conformity, a haunting image of a girl manipulating symbols of success like marionettes. All 19 finalists will have their work featured in a video installation at the National Portrait Gallery from January 24 to August 30, 2026, offering visitors a glimpse into voices shaping the future of portrait photography.
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