Merrimack High School Junior Justin Barry has earned national recognition in the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards of 2017.

Barry has been identified by panels of creative professionals as one of the most talented young artists in the nation.

This year, more than 330,000 works of art and writing were submitted. Fewer than 1 percent were recognized at the national level. These students have been invited to attend a ceremony at Carnegie Hall in New York City on Thursday, June 8.