Awards and Recognition
Excellence Earned, Nationally Recognized
National Portfolio Gold Medal
Jasmine Li earned one of only eight national Portfolio Gold Medals in the 2025 Scholastic Art Awards — the sole recipient from California.
AP Art Perfect Score 5
Lailai Zhang achieved a perfect score of 5 in 2023 AP Art Drawing, joining an elite group of just 306 students worldwide.
Congressional Art Contest Winner
Selena's artwork was selected as the winner of the 2021 Congressional Art Contest for California's 17th District.
Chinese Painting and Calligraphy Legacy
Founder Ichen's Chinese painting and calligraphy classes have dominated the All American Chinese Painting and Calligraphy contest for 25 years since 2000.
Scholastic Art Awards
In 2023 alone, our students earned 30 Gold, 35 Silver awards, and 96 Honorable Mentions in Scholastic Art competitions.
Exceptional AP Art Performance
Over 100 students have scored 5 in AP Art since 2014. In 2024-2025, over 75% of our students scored 5 — that's 5x the national average.
Exceptional Results Through Systematic Training
2023 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards
Quality over Quantity
Nearly 1 in 5 IAA students earned Scholastic recognition in 2023—a rate nearly 5x higher than the Bay Area's largest art education program, which serves over 4,000 students yet earned 150 awards.
This dramatic difference reflects our approach:
- ✓Systematic K-12 curriculum building skills progressively
- ✓Small class sizes with consistent expert instruction (7+ year average teacher tenure)
- ✓Individual artistic development over volume enrollment
- ✓High technical standards that prepare students for elite competition
The ultimate validation: This regional excellence culminated in 2025 when Jasmine Li earned a Gold Medal Portfolio—one of only 8 awarded nationally and California's sole recipient.
From regional dominance to national pinnacle, our results prove that systematic training produces exceptional artists.
Interested in joining Ichen Art Academy?
Please fill out an Online Information Form to request a free trial. High school students may also request a free consultation.