Endeavor Online Newsletter
December 15, 2010 - 5:14am — admin
|
|
|
|
|
|
Message from the President & CEO
Dear Friends,
As the year comes to a close, we reflect on the many wonderful memories created during 2010…and look ahead to the beginning of our 30th anniversary in 2011.
What a year it will be! In January, a new class of 148 YoungArts finalists will join us in Miami for a life-changing week of performances, exhibitions and master classes. In the spring, the Gold and Silver winners will travel to New York City for our unique In the Studio/Out of the Studio experience and performance at the Baryshnikov Arts Center and Affirmation Arts gallery, and in June, our 20 Presidential Scholars in the Arts will receive their medals at a White House awards ceremony.
2011 also will reveal the creation of our new Education Initiative, a major new arm of the Foundation with an entirely new comprehensive program that will allow us to expand our focus to more young artists, educator, our alumni, classrooms and alternative teaching environments.
We invite you to get involved, learn more, watch us expand, and help us continue to be the premier organization in the nation for discovering a new era of excellence, celebrating, fostering and rewarding our heart and soul…young creatives!
Sincerely,
Christina DePaul
President & CEO
What's New
YoungArts Finalists 2011
After an exciting adjudication process here in Miami, we are proud to announce our 30th class of YoungArts finalists. These students, recognized for their excellent work in nine disciplines across the visual, literary and performing arts, will come to Miami for the national YoungArts Week, January 9-15, 2011.
This year’s finalists represent the top 3% of applicants and were selected through a blind adjudication process from a pool of 5,164 applications. The art forms range from world dance to woodwinds; from non-fiction writing to jazz trumpet, and the young artists hail from 27 states throughout the U.S. During YoungArts Week, all finalists will participate in master classes with internationally renowned artists, workshops, interdisciplinary activities, performances and exhibitions. Additionally, they will receive monetary awards from $1,000, with top-level awardees receiving $10,000.
These finalists will be adjudicated to determine further award levels, including participation in the special, New York City-based In The Studio, another week of workshops for YoungArts Gold and Silver finalists. NFAA is also the sole nominating agency for the Presidential Scholars in the Arts, the highest honor that can be awarded to any artistically talented graduating high school senior, and 20 YoungArts finalists will be named Presidential Scholars in the Arts.
The full list of finalists is available online here.
Read more about YoungArts Week 2011 Finalists.
More News
Kudos to Dr. Padrón
Congratulations to NFAA Trustee Dr. Eduardo J. Padrón, president of Miami Dade College, who was appointed chair of a new White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans by President Obama.
Read more about the Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans initiative.
Behind The Scenes
Award-winning playwright and actor, Tarell Alvin McCraney, 1999 YoungArts Winner in Theater, seems to be everywhere, from the Royal Shakespeare Company in Britain, to Steppenwolf Theatre in Chicago, to inclusion in the “Top 100 Creatives” list published by Miami News Times.
Yet, he carved out time recently in his busy schedule to conduct a YoungArts Miami scriptwriting workshop for high school students, encouraging them to be well-read and to explore the world outside their own immediate surroundings.
Watch a video about Tarell McCraney's workshop.
Save The Date
|
//JANUARY 9-15, 2011 YoungArts Week Performances and Exhibitions. Multiple locations throughout Miami. |
//JANUARY 15, 2011, 6:00pm Celebrating 30 Years of Discovering Excellence in the Arts Gusman Center for the Performing Arts and The Historic ALFRED I. DUPONT BUILDING. |
Alumni Spotlight
Ani Aznavoorian, 1995 Winner in Music and Presidential Scholar in the Arts and now Principal Cellist for Camerata Pacifica in Santa Barbara, California
In its review of one of Ani Aznavoorian’s recent concert performances, the New York Times called her a “true artist.” The Los Angeles Times agreed, stating that her work had “great sensitivity and great virtuosity at all moments.” Of course, we aren’t surprised because Ani has been demonstrating her skills and talent for years now, even before YoungArts recognized her as a Presidential Scholar in the Arts in 1995.
After graduating from high school, Ani attended Juilliard for both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees. As a freshman, she became the youngest cellist to win first prize in the school’s concerto competition. Her early reputation earned her a spot in the Juilliard Orchestra’s performance at Avery Fisher Hall, with conductor Gerard Schwarz. Her career took off after Juilliard, with notable appearances in other major concert halls, including Carnegie Hall, Alice Tully Hall, Ravinia’s Bennett Hall, Hawrelak Park, Aspen’s Harris Hall, the Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concert Series, WFMT’s Live from Studio 1, and the Music in the Loft Concert Series.
In addition to her current position with Camerata Pacifica, Ani performs frequently in the Jupiter Chamber Music series in New York, and very proudly performs on a cello made by her father, Peter Aznavoorian.
Read our interview with Ani Aznavoorian.
Where Are They Now?
Just in time for the holiday…Contemporary interpretations of Christmas repertoire, old and new. A Kate Davis Holiday was released by +Kate Davis, 2009 YoungArts Winner in Jazz/Bass and Jazz/Voice and Presidential Scholar in the Arts. The CD features pianist, Noah Kellman, 2009 YoungArts Winner in Jazz/Composition and drummer Todd Strait.
Listen and learn more: Kate Davis Music.
+Sarah Lane, American Ballet Theatre Soloist 2002 YoungArts Winner in Dance/Ballet and Presidential Scholar in the Arts, appears as Natalie Portman’s body-double in the new film, Black Swan, about a fictional ballet company’s new version of “Swan Lake.”
+Gillian Murphy, American Ballet Theatre Principal Dancer Gillian 1996 YoungArts Winner in Dance/Ballet, leads the world premiere performance of The Nutcracker at the Brooklyn Academy of Music on Thursday, December 23, 2010 at 6:30 p.m.
The New York Times Holiday Gift Guide featured Rhapsodic Musings, the new CD by Jennifer Koh, 1994 YoungArts Winner in Music/Violin and Presidential Scholar in the Arts.
+Naomi Fisher, 1994 Winner in Visual Arts, of Bas Fisher International, not only had her work displayed in the off-the-grid Art Basel spectacle, “The Island,” but the New York Times also listed her and artist Jim Drain as the “Art Couple” of Art Basel Miami Beach 2010.
+Daniel Arsham, 1999 Winner in Visual Arts, who began collaborating with Merce Cunningham in 2007, built the sculptures for his Art Basel show at the Adrienne Arsht Center. Daniel also had a solo show, “Alter,” at the Galerie Emmanuel Perrotin, and his work was featured in, “The Maginot Line,” curated by Dennis Scholl of the Knight Foundation, at the David Castillo Gallery in Wynwood.
+Juan Roselione-Valadez, 1994 Winner in Visual Arts and Presidential Scholar in the Arts, is the Director of the Rubell Family Collection, which opened its newest exhibition during Art Basel, How Soon Now, featuring more than 30 of the world’s most compelling contemporary artists. The exhibition, occupying 27 galleries, is comprised of paintings, sculptures, photographs and videos never before exhibited by the Collection.
In Other Art Basel News
We would like to thank the following alumni for their participation in private reception performances with several of our corporate partners during the recent Art Basel Miami Beach:
+Kate Davis, 2009 YoungArts Winner in Jazz/Bass and Jazz/Voice and Presidential Scholar in the Arts.
+Jake Goldbas, 2007 YoungArts Winner in Jazz/Percussion
+Noah Kellman, 2009 Winner in Jazz/Composition
+Pascal LeBoeuf, 2004 Winner in Jazz/Piano
+Remy LeBoeuf, 2004 Winner in Jazz/Saxophone
+Katelyn Wilson, 2010 YoungArts Winner in Voice
Read more about YoungArts alumni.
Sponsor Spotlight
Thank You For Your Support
We are grateful to national sponsor UBS for their increased support of YoungArts programs and alumni. As part of this partnership, UBS featured five YoungArts alumni in vocal and music performance at their Welcome Reception at the 2010 Art Basel Miami Beach earlier this month.
UBS has a long and valued partnership with Art Basel and Art Basel Miami Beach. ABMB is the cornerstone of their commitment to the arts in the United States. UBS has served as the main sponsor for the past 17 of the fair's 41-year history, as well as main sponsor of Art Basel Miami Beach for a ninth consecutive year since its inception in 2002. UBS has a long history of supporting the arts and believes that art is a means of sharing insight — a crucial process echoed at UBS as they share financial perspectives with their clients in creating tailored financial solutions.
We recognize UBS for their generous support of the YoungArts program and their encouragement of our alumni, the next generation of America’s culture, in the visual, literary and performing arts.
Blog Spotlight
Performance artist Brittany Bailey, 2008 YoungArts Winner in Modern Dance, writes about her three-month experience with Marina Abramovic and much-heralded “The Artist is Present” show at the MoMA in New York City.
“The places my mind went to and the spaces my energy filled during the performances are timeless and universal, something I will always strive for whatever I continue to create and share with others,” Brittany blogs.
Read more about this fascinating work of art.
