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YoungArts Program Now Open |
As the school year begins to wind down, we are just beginning to gear up for the 2012 cycle of YoungArts, the signature national program that recognizes and supports America’s most talented 17-18 year olds in the visual, literary and performing arts.
Are you ready for the next phase in your artistic career? Would you like to increase your college scholarship opportunities? Would you like the chance to become a Presidential Scholar in the Arts?
If the answer is yes, we invite you to review our application information section online for more details. Registrants must be a senior in high school during the 2011-2012 school year, or for those young artists not enrolled, you must be 17 or 18 years old on December 1.
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YoungArts 2012 registration is now open. Learn how you can benefit from our program.
Join us in New York City for our annual In the Studio Benefit.
We believe in arts. In youth. Join our mission to invest in a future rich in culture.
Have a question about our program or events? Call (305) 377-1140 or email us.
Save the Date
// THROUGH OCTOBER 14, 2011
// APRIL 14, 2011, 7 p.m.
In the Studio Benefit
Baryshnikov Arts Center and Affirmation Arts gallery, New York City. By invitation only.
// MAY 15, 2011, 1 p.m
Celebration of 2011 YoungArts Winners from Florida, New World Center, Miami Beach. Open to the public at no charge. Ticket information coming soon.
// JUNE 19 & 20, 2011
Presidential Scholars in the Arts Smithsonian American Art Museum and John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Washington, D.C.
Message from the CEO
 Dear Friends,
Like the arrival of spring, YoungArts is in “full bloom.”
For our 2011 Gold and Silver winners, this time of year means a week in New York City as part of our In the Studio/Out of the Studioprogram, where they create, collaborate and perform in front of live audiences while absorbing the wisdom of master teachers. Next month, the White House Commission on Presidential Scholars will announce nominations for the prestigious Presidential Scholars in the Arts awards; this year’s 148 YoungArts Finalists, including the Gold and Silver winners, are the only students considered in the country.
Springtime also means that we are opening our doors for the next group of talented young artists, who can apply for YoungArts 2012 between March 15 - October 14. More information about the application process and requirements is available on our website, including a detailed list of frequently asked questions. I strongly suggest that students, parents and teachers spend some time reviewing this section. We want to ensure that all students have the information necessary for a successful application.
And finally, the spring months arouse a sense in all of us of the spirit of renewal, and for YoungArts, it is no different. We have been busy working on an exciting, three-year strategic plan for the organization, and look forward to sharing news with you soon about our new initiatives, objectives and growth for the future.
As always, I welcome your comments and feedback.
Sincerely,
Christina DePaul
President & CEO
Sponsor Spotlight
Thank You for Your Support
We give our heartfelt thanks to the members of our two YoungArts Councils, which were formed a year ago with much success. We want to give special recognition to Miami Council Chairman Jim Eroncig, and New York Council Chairman Desmond Richardson, a 1986 YoungArts Winner in Dance and Presidential Scholar in the Arts.
YoungArts Councils were created as the fundraising arm of our regional programming efforts with the added goal of raising awareness about the young artists in their own cities. Council members are invited to exclusive YoungArts events and receive a behind-the-scenes experience with our awardees and alumni.
We applaud our YoungArts Council members whose support is vital to our mission to encourage top young artists during their high school years and as they transition into college and professional careers in the arts.
If you would like to learn more, please call the Development Office at (305) 377-1140 or email development@youngarts.org.
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In the Studio/Out of the Studio Set for April |
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A number of events and programs are in the planning stages this spring, including the much anticipated annual In the Studio/Out of the Studio series in locations around New York City, April 9-16.
It is truly a unique experience dedicated to furthering the YoungArts experience for the Gold and Silver award winners, and includes additional enrichment opportunities such as master classes with world-renowned artists, workshops and interdisciplinary activities. The students participating in In the Studio will perform at the Baryshnikov Arts Center in front of a live audience and exhibit their work at Affirmation Arts gallery. The students participating in Out of the Studio will perform for their peers at the El Puente Academy for Peace and Justice, the El Puente Leadership Center in Brooklyn, and the Frank Sinatra School of the Arts in Queens. They also will meet with students at the Rebel Diaz Collective in the Bronx.
The public is invited to see a free performance and exhibition of the Gold and Silver awardees create during their week in the city, on Friday, April 15 at 7 p.m. at the Baryshnikov Arts Center. Reservations are required. Please click here to reserve your seat.
The annual In the Studio Benefit will be held Thursday, April 14 at 7 p.m., chaired this year by arts philanthropist Agnes Gund and artist James Rosenquist. Individual tickets begin at $500 and sponsorship packages are available. For more information, please email inthestudio@youngarts.org or call (305) 377-1140.
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Blog Spotlight
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 We’ve got a new Oscar in the family, thanks to Kirk Simon and Karen Goodman of Simon & Goodman Picture Company, whose film,Strangers No More, won the Short Documentary Film category during the televised February 28 ceremony. Lin Arison, co-founder of National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts, served as Executive Producer.
Kirk and Karen (who are members of our Board of Trustees) have documented numerous YoungArts activities over the years, and were nominated for an Oscar in 2006 for Rehearsing a Dream, a behind-the-scenes look at YoungArts Week. What’s more, their MASTERCLASS television series on HBO follows several artists as they interact with students during YoungArts master classes.
Now, you can see why this talented filmmaking team won the film industry’s most prestigious award…and learn more about us by viewing their YoungArts 30th Anniversary film online.
Congratulations Kirk and Karen!
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Behind the Scenes
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YoungArts regional programs are designed to recognize and reward more talented young artists and to provide year-round experiences, resources and enrichment for talented high school students in diverse communities who aspire to a career of excellence in the arts. Participants have access to informative workshops and master classes, information on scholarships in the arts, career guidance and portfolio development resources.
Recently, students in New York and Miami attended a workshop called “Presenting for Success,” which was designed to enable students to demonstrate leadership presence, articulate their artistic point-of-view, tell a compelling story and adapt their message to diverse audiences. Facilitated by professionals from Influens, an international training and coaching firm, the workshops featured active learning and skills drills including a “hot seat” exercise that put participants on the spot in a mock interview in which they had to respond to questions about their work. The program was specially designed for YoungArts with the goal of offering practical learning opportunities for young people that will help them take their artistic work to the next level.
View our event photo album.
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Alumni Spotlight
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Fashion designer Fabiola Arias, 2005 YoungArts Winner in Visual Arts.
Fabiola Arias is one of the few YoungArts alumni who can claim an established reputation in the world of fashion design. She launched her line at age 21 while attending Parsons The New School for Design in New York. Almost immediately, she was discovered by Ikram Goldman, Chicago boutique owner and First Lady Michelle Obama’s style consultant. He purchased her collection.
Fabiola's unique and signature use of texture and surface treatment is visible in her cocktail and evening wear pieces. Because of her training in painting and sculpture, her use of fabric manipulation is reflective of brushstrokes and paint daubs.
The Fabiola Arias Collection is currently being sold in Neiman Marcus Bal Harbour, and San Francisco. In January 2011 she won The Fashion Group International's Rising Star Award.
Read more of our interview with Fabiola.
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Where Are They Now
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+Terence Blanchard, 1981 YoungArts Winner in Music, has been named Artistic Director of the Mancini Institute at the University of Miami
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+John Currin, 1981 YoungArts Winner in Visual Arts, and his wife, Rachel Feinstein, were featured prominently last month in the New York Times. They were praised as “the art world’s most potent marital pairing since Jackson Pollock and Lee Krasner” and declared John “arguably the most provocative and successful painter of his generation.”
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+Rory Freeman, 2006 YoungArts Winner in Dance, joined the dance company, MOMIX, prior to its international tour, Botanica, last summer.
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+Lucas Leyva, 2005 YoungArts Winner in Writing, is listed in the “100 Creatives” list published by Miami New Times.
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Happy Anniversary, YoungArts
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Since 1981, YoungArts, the core program of the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts (NFAA), has honored over 16,000 artists with more than $6 million in monetary awards and nearly $84 million in college scholarship opportunities.
In honor of the 30th anniversary of our founding by the late Ted Arison, and his wife Lin, we will pay tribute here monthly to alumni from every class who have embraced the Arison’s mission to identify emerging artists and assist them at critical junctures in their educational and professional development:
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1987 – Jenji Kohan, YoungArts Winner in Writing, is a television writer, producer and director, who won an Emmy Award as a creator of the television show, Weeds.
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1988 – Wendy Chen, YoungArts Winner in Music and Presidential Scholar in the Arts, is a pianist who has garnered critical acclaim for her engagements with leading orchestras and concert halls worldwide.
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1989 – Donna Lynne Champlin, YoungArts Winner in Visual Arts and Presidential Scholar in the Arts, has been performing since her very first tap solo in a local variety show at the age of four. She can be seen currently on Broadway in Billy Elliot: The Musical.
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Discovering Excellence in the Arts
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YoungArts is...
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16,000 talented alumni
$500,000 in total annual monetary awards
Up to 7,000applicants each cycle
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$3 million in scholarships from prestigious colleges & universities
150 YoungArts finalists annually
20Presidential Scholars in the Arts each year
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Photo credits:YoungArts Applicant – Mitchell Zachs
In the Studio – Stephanie Berman
Desmond Richardson – Seth Browarnik
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