Support Art Education and Inspire Young Artists

Applications, Upcoming Season Programming, and 3^rd Annual YoungArts Awareness Day  

Happy Fall! YoungArts is gearing up for its 2016-17 season, which promises to be another exciting year for the organization. Kicking off on September 27 with YoungArts Awareness Day, YoungArts has a full calendar of energetic programming and events on the horizon, including signature regional weeks and robust programs that will highlight the organization’s talented alumni.

Visual, Literary, Design and Performing Artists 15-18 Years Old Encouraged to Apply to National YoungArts Foundation

Call For 2017 Applications Open From June 1 to October 14, 2016

The National YoungArts Foundation (YoungArts) is accepting applications (to become a 2017 YoungArts Winner) from June 1, 2016 through October 14, 2016. YoungArts identifies and nurtures the nation’s most accomplished emerging artists in the visual, literary, design and performing arts between the ages of 15 and 18 or in high school grades 10-12, and encourages candidates to submit their applications online at http://www.youngarts.org/apply.

“On behalf of everyone at YoungArts, I encourage young artists from across the country to apply to our 2017 program. Last year, we received a record number of more than 12,000 applications—now, I am calling upon all parents, teachers, coaches and mentors inside and outside the classroom to support the most talented young artists in their communities, and help them take the leap from aspiring to professional artist,” said Lisa Leone, Vice President of Artistic Programs for the National YoungArts Foundation.

Artists may apply to any of YoungArts’ ten disciplines: Cinematic Arts, Dance, Design Arts, Jazz, Classical Music, Photography, Theater, Visual Arts, Voice and Writing. YoungArts Winners are selected annually through a blind adjudication process, and recognized at the Finalist, Honorable Mention or Merit level.

All YoungArts Winners are exposed to professional and educational opportunities, including the chance to work with and learn from renowned artists in their fields—such as Debbie Allen, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Judith Hill, Plácido Domingo, Frank Gehry, Neil Patrick Harris, Jeff Koons, Wynton Marsalis, Salman Rushdie and Carrie Mae Weems—and are eligible to participate in one of YoungArts’ annual regional programs in Miami, Los Angeles and New York, space permitting. YoungArts also offers a strong professional network of more than 20,000 alumni, as well as ongoing professional guidance and the opportunity to perform and exhibit their work at some of the nation’s leading cultural institutions, including the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (Washington, D.C.), Baryshnikov Arts Center (New York), Sotheby’s (New York) and New World Center (Miami).

Each January, YoungArts Finalists are invited to National YoungArts Week, the organization’s signature program held annually in Miami, to participate in a week of intensive master classes and workshops with leading artists. Throughout the week, participants have the opportunity to share their work with the public each evening through performances, readings, exhibitions and screenings, and are further evaluated to receive awards of up to $10,000. Nominations for that year’s U.S. Presidential Scholars in the Arts—one of the highest honors given to artistically talented high school seniors in the United States—are also made, as YoungArts is the sole nominating agency for this award.

“The YoungArts program not only validated my hard work as an artist, but more importantly, gave me the resources, coaching, and artistic relationships to help me grow as a writer and take my work to new heights. I am so grateful for all the opportunities granted by the program, as they have truly shaped my craft and expanded my artistic perspective,” said Ashley Gong, 2016 YoungArts Winner in Writing from Sandy Hook, CT.

Eligibility and Award Information

 To be eligible for recognition by YoungArts, applicants must be between the ages of 15 and 18 or in high school grades 10-12 (as of December 1, 2016); either a United States citizen or a permanent resident; and must demonstrate excellence in the visual, literary, design or performing arts. The applications deadline is October 14, 2016 at 11:59pm EST. If students have any questions, they can reach programming staff at (305) 377-1140 or apply@youngarts.org.

Mark your calendars for YoungArts Awareness Day (Sept. 27, 2016)

YoungArts Awareness Day is a nationwide advocacy campaign that aims to encourage emerging artists to pursue careers in the arts. With an exhibition opening and activities on the Miami campus, as well as coordinated events in New York, Los Angeles and a performance by alumni at the Millennium Stage at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., this third iteration of the campaign will serve as a fantastic kick-off to the upcoming season.

Exciting Season Ahead! Notable calendar dates for the upcoming season are listed below. Be sure to check our website at www.youngarts.org for the most up to date information on programming and event dates.

Regional Programs:

January 14, 2017 | Miami Gala

February 21-26, 2017 | YoungArts Miami

March 28, 2017 – April 2, 2017 | YoungArts Los Angeles

April 20, 2017 | New York Gala

April 25 – 30, 2017 | YoungArts New York

Other Miami programing includes:

Outside the Box

November 5, 2016 | World Premiere of “Transformations”

March 18, 2017 | Daniel Bernard Roumain directs an all-star alumni cast involving live scoring and film

May 20, 2017 | Yara Travieso (2005, Winner in Dance/Ballet, Dance/Choreography)

(Ticket Price: Free)

Salon Series – Miami

October 19, 2016 | Artists as Citizens: Teresita Fernandez & Chat Travieso (2003, Winner in Visual Arts)

November 9, 2016 | Rebellion & Innovation: Michael Clark & Brittany Bailey (2008, Winner in Dance/Modern)

February 15, 2017 | Discovery & Emerging Talent: Salaam Remi & Victoria Canal (2016, Winner in Voice & PSA)

April 19, 2017 | Women & Words

May 17, 2017 | Art & the Next Wave: Yara Travieso

(Ticket Price: $10.00 / Alumni: Free)

Links:

• Pointe Magazine | Why You Should Apply to YoungArts

June is an exciting month for the National YoungArts Foundation as it celebrates the 20 U.S. Presidential Scholars, welcomes its new President and CEO, and looks back on two successful regional programs in March and April.

2016 U.S. Presidential Scholars Announced

The National YoungArts Foundation (YoungArts) congratulates the 52nd class of U.S. Presidential Scholars, announced by U.S. Secretary of Education John King. The 20 U.S. Presidential Scholars in the Arts—one of the nation’s highest honors for high school students and all of whom are YoungArts Winners—were nominated to The White House Commission on Presidential Scholars for their artistic achievement, and selected based on academic and artistic accomplishments, leadership responsibilities, community service and outreach initiatives, and overall creativity.

The award, presented on behalf of the President of the United States, symbolically honors graduating high school seniors of high potential and recognizes up to 161 students each year as U.S. Presidential Scholars. The 2016 U.S. Presidential Scholars in the Arts are actors, dancers, singers, classical musicians, visual artists, designers and writers, and joining YoungArts alumni and leaders in their fields such as Tony Award-nominated performer and choreographer Desmond Richardson; Los Angeles Music Center President Rachel S. Moore; novelist and National Book Award Finalist Allegra Goodman; Grammy Award-nominated violinist Jennifer Koh; BRAVO’s “Work of Art” winner Abdi Farah; OBIE Award-winning actress Donna Lynne Champlin; and RCA Records award-winning singer/songwriter and Grammy Award-nominated artist Chris Young.

“This year’s class of Presidential Scholars continues a more than 50 year trend of honoring students who have shown excellence in their educational, artistic and civic pursuits,” said U.S. Secretary of Education John King. “Thirty years ago, the program was expanded to include students in the arts, which is critical to providing students with a well-rounded education.” The National YoungArts Foundation, in cooperation with the Commission on Presidential Scholars and The U.S. Department of Education will present an exhibition of scholars’ artwork and writing, as well as a multidisciplinary performance and salute to the 2016 winners.

New Leader for YoungArts

On May 2, 2016, the Board of Trustees of the National YoungArts Foundation announced the appointment of Carolina García Jayaram as President and Chief Executive Officer. Ms. García Jayaram comes to YoungArts from United States Artists (USA), one of the nation’s largest grantmaking and advocacy organizations supporting performing, visual, media and literary artists, where she has served as President and Chief Executive Officer since 2014. Among her other achievements at USA, Carolina oversaw the formation of a new Fellows Alumni Advisory Council, the establishment of new partnerships with leading national organizations and festivals and the production of USA’s annual two-day convening, the Artists Assembly.

Ms. García Jayaram said, “The establishment of the campus in Miami, the expansion of the program’s outreach into other cities, the involvement of magnificent artists as advisors and role models—all this and more has made YoungArts the organization to watch. I’m extremely proud to have been chosen to advance YoungArts in realizing its indispensable mission.”              

Recap: YoungArts Miami and YoungArts New York

The National YoungArts Foundation’s 2016 YoungArts Miami program (March 8 to 13) and YoungArts New York program (April 12 to 17) offered YoungArts Winners, selected from a record 12,000 applications from emerging artists ages 15-18 (or in grades 10-12), the rare opportunity to learn, connect and collaborate with fellow peers and luminaries in their artistic fields. During YoungArts Miami, participants worked with renowned artists including director, producer and creator of “The Technique” Joan Scheckel, YoungArts alumni Yara Travieso (2005 Winner in Dance) and Jen Waldman (1993 Winner in Theater), who offered them support, mentorship and encouragement to pursue their passions and careers in the arts. These promising young artists also had the chance to share their talents with the public through multidisciplinary performances, writers’ readings, a cinematic arts screening and a visual arts exhibition on the YoungArts Campus and at The Colony Theatre on Lincoln Road.

YoungArts New York included interdisciplinary workshops, seminars and master classes with renowned leaders in their fields such as Derrick Adams, Carla Dirlikov Canales, Joan Lader, Joan Morgan, Adesola Osakalumi, Sir Salman Rushdie, and Conrad Tao, among others. During YoungArts New York, participants also shared their talents with the public through a series of performances at Baryshnikov Arts Center (BAC), curated by BAC’s Artistic Director and legendary performer Mikhail Baryshnikov, BAC's Artistic Administrator Pedja Muzijevic, and Grammy Award-winning violinist Christian Hebel.

Links:

• YoungArts
• New Leader for YoungArts Foundation