Support Art Education and Inspire Young Artists

YoungArts) is proud to announce that Complexions Contemporary Ballet—co-founded by Tony Award-nominated Broadway performer, 1986 YoungArts Winner in Modern Dance and U.S. Presidential Scholar in the Arts, Desmond Richardson—will be YoungArts’ resident dance company from October 25 through November 8. Supported by a generous grant from ArtPlace America, this residency builds on YoungArts’ existing visual arts residency program and expands the organization’s support of artists in the United States while strengthening its place as a creative catalyst for Miami’s growing cultural landscape.

Being YoungArts’ resident dance company will provide the renowned Complexions Contemporary Ballet with time, space and resources, giving the dancers a chance to work in Miami and engage with its community. Complexions will receive an honorarium; a stipend to cover travel, projects and other related expenses as well as two weeks of housing and a studio workspace in the newly renovated Jewel Box on the YoungArts Campus. While in residence, the company will create an original work by Master Choreographer Dwight Rhoden that will premiere at the company’s annual Joyce Theater Season in New York between November 17 and 29. On November 7, Complexions will share some of its work with the public through an Outside the Box performance in Miami.

2nd Annual YoungArts Awareness Day

On September 24, we're celebrating the second annual YoungArts Awareness Day with events in Miami, New York and Los Angeles.  YoungArts Awareness Day is a national campaign recognizing the organization’s impact on thousands of emerging artists with a calltoaction for future generations. This year’s events will take place on the heels of National Arts in Education Week to emphasize the growing need for programs that foster development, provide access to financial rewards, and present the arts as a viable career path—especially as schools are rapidly eliminating the arts within their curricula. YoungArts Awareness Day will be celebrated through a series of public events in New York, Miami and Los Angeles. The initiative aims to show that #becauseofyoungarts, artists ages 15 to 18 years are able to take the next steps toward achieving their goals and building a strong professional network including awardwinning and acclaimed alumni, such as Doug Aitken, Conrad Tao, Desmond Richardson and Kerry Washington, among other notable figures.

“Through YoungArts Awareness Day we hope to activate the public and our more than 20,000 YoungArts alumni to reach young artists in every corner of this country and make sure they know that we are here to support their dreams of becoming a professional artist,” said Lisa Leone, Vice President of Artistic Programs for YoungArts. “We want to show them that being an artist is a worthwhile and fulfilling career path, and that we will guide and mentor them to help reach their fullest potential.”

The YoungArts network, including thousands of professional artists, master teachers, parents and aspiring artists, will take to social media to share their personal YoungArts stories and discuss why the arts are important using the hashtags #becauseofyoungarts and #keepartsalive. Events aim to inspire young artists (between the ages of 15 and 18 or in high school grades 1012) to apply to become a part of the 35th Anniversary Class of YoungArts Winners at youngarts.org/apply through October 16, 2015.

YoungArts Awareness Day events in New York City will feature Andrew Rannells (1997 YoungArts Winner in Theater), Zuzanna Szadkowski (1997 YoungArts Winner in Theater and U.S. Presidential Scholar in the Arts), and Tony Yazbeck (1997 YoungArts Winner in Theater) at the helm of a dynamic Broadway showcase. In Los Angeles, Black Gatsby (D’Angelo Lacy) (2005 YoungArts Winner in Theater) will direct a rock/pop concert starring India Carney (2011 YoungArts Winner in Theater, Voice and U.S. Presidential Scholar in the Arts); and in Miami, at our headquarters, a selection of Daniel Arsham’s (1999 YoungArts Winner in Visual Arts) work—curated by Los Angeles County Museum of Art Department Head and Curator of Contemporary Art Franklin Sirmans— will open to the public in conjunction with a YoungArts Salon featuring Arsham and Sirmans in conversation about the exhibition. The first of an exciting season of programming, the YoungArts Salon Series is sponsored by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. For more information, visit youngarts.org/youngartsawarenessday.

How will you celebrate YoungArts Awareness Day?

Daniel Arsham (1999, Visual Arts)
Curated by Franklin Sirmans, newly appointed Director of Perez Art Museum Miami
@ YoungArts
An interactive exhibition that begins with nearly 2,000 objects made of chalk and evolves with the markings, drawings and words of gallery visitors.

6:30-8 PM | Salon Series: Arsham and Sirmans in Conversation
sponsored by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation

8-10 PM | Exhibition Opening Reception

2:30 PM | Greg Zelek (2010, Music) at The Met 
@ The André Mertens Galleries for Musical Instruments, North Balcony (Gallery #683)
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Free with museum admission

9:30 PM | YoungArts Cabaret 
@ 54 Below
Directed by Zuzanna Szadkowski (1997, Theater, PSA)
Performances by:
Andrew Rannells (1997, Theater)
Grace Weber (2006, Theater, Voice, PSA)
Tony Yazbeck (1997, Theater)

9 PM | A Disco/Pop Concert
@ Madame Siam in West Hollywood
Directed by D'Angelo Lacy (2005, Theater)
Performances by:
India Carney (2011, Theater, Voice, PSA)
Jay Jackson (2007, Dance, PSA)
Fiona Grey Schenkelberg (2013, Voice)
Satori Folkes-Stone (2014, Dance)
Michelle May (2014, Dance)

Free with RSVP

3 PM (EST) | Q&A with Josh Groban (1999, Theater)
Join our Facebook page for a live Q&A session with YoungArts alumnus Josh Groban!