Boys & Girls Clubs of America Announces Top Youth Artists of the Digital Arts Festivals and ImageMakers National Photography Contest

ATLANTA, July 11, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) announces the top youth artists of the Digital Arts Festivals and ImageMakers National Photography Contest, two member competitions from BGCA's arts initiative. To honor the national winners, 19 Boys & Girls Club teens (ages 13 to 19) will travel to San Diego for a weeklong, once-in-a-lifetime recognition trip, and 21 Boys & Girls Club kids (ages 6 to 12) will receive $500 for a party at their local Club. Beyond these celebration events, the national winners' artwork will be on display at BGCA National Headquarters throughout the year and online at the Digital Arts Festivals Gallery and ImageMakers Gallery.

Next week, 19 Boys & Girls Club teens will travel across the globe for an educational trip in San Diego to enjoy cuisine, history and the arts in recognition for their national honor. Sponsored by Sony Electronics Inc., Comcast and NBCUniversal, and Cartoon Network, the Digital Arts Festivals and ImageMakers recognition trip is a fun-filled week to treat the national teen winners with an awards gala, career experiences at Sony Electronics Headquarters, a studio tour of Sony Pictures and visits to the San Diego Wild Animal Park, La Jolla Cove and Petco Park.

"The talent of this year's national winners was phenomenal, and we are proud to provide the teen winners with an opportunity to explore a wide variety of career paths, tour a new city and make new friends from across the country," said Kimberly Boyd, vice president of Program and Youth Development Services at BGCA. "With the support of our partners, arts education is fostered at Boys & Girls Clubs to develop the skills of talented youth who might not otherwise have an opportunity for arts exposure."

Studies have shown that nearly half of all public schools do not offer visual arts programs. Additionally, children from low-income families are 50 percent less likely to participate in arts programs outside of school than youth from affluent families. Thanks to program sponsors like Comcast and NBCUniversal and Sony Electronics, Boys & Girls Clubs are offering quality, affordable arts programming during out-of-school time.

The Digital Arts Festivals invites Club members ages 6 to 18 to submit their computer-generated art in one of six categories: photography, music, graphic design, game design, movie animation and film. More than 20,000 kids participate annually in the Digital Arts Festivals, which are sponsored by Comcast and NBCUniversal and Sony Electronics. To learn more about the Festivals and to view artwork from this year's winners, visit the Digital Arts Festivals Gallery.

Sponsored by Sony Electronics, the ImageMakers National Photography Contest has a rich, 50-plus-year history in Boys & Girls Clubs. The Contest invites youth ages 6 to 18 to capture photographs in four categories: culture & tradition, portraits, surroundings and photo with essay or poem. To learn more about ImageMakers and to view artwork from this year's winners, visit the ImageMakers Gallery.

The 2013 national winners of the Digital Arts Festivals are:

• Photography Category
  • Raizel T., 9, "Biologist," Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Denver (Colo.)
  • Cassie T., 12, "Pet Doctor," Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Denver (Colo.)
  • Erik W., 14, "Firefighter," Boys & Girls Clubs of Sarasota County (Fla.)
  • Anjolie Bodden, 17, "Anj," Boys & Girls Clubs of Sarasota County (Fla.)
• Music Category
  • Marissa M., 7, "Prayer," Pueblo of Pojoaque Boys & Girls Club (N.M.)
  • Owen M., 10, "My Future," U.S. Army Garrison Wiesbaden CYS Services (Germany)
  • Chris E., 15, "Lessons Learned," Boys & Girls Clubs of Sarasota County (Fla.)
  • James S., 16, "Confusion," Boys & Girls Club of Huntington Valley (Calif.)
• Graphic Design Category
  • Mario F., 8, "I Can Go Super Fast," Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Denver (Colo.)
  • Joshua V., 10, "Soaring High," Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Scottsdale (Ariz.)
  • Matthew M., 15, "Started from the bottom," U.S. Army Garrison Fort Stewart CYS Services (Ga.)
  • Gaku L., 16, "Class of 2013 Logo," Boys & Girls Club of Iwakuni (Japan)
• Game Design Category
  • Andersen L., 10, "Recycle Man," Boys & Girls Clubs of Bellevue (Wash.)
  • Xavier C., 13, "Bald Eagle Protection," Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Denver (Colo.)
• Movie Animation Category
  • Keymani W., 8, "Animation," Boys & Girls Clubs of King County (Wash.)
  • Aliyah S., 9, "Animation," Boys & Girls Clubs of King County (Wash.)
  • Colton M., 11, "Colton Plays Ball," Boys & Girls Clubs of Porter County (Ind.)
  • Jahari B., 14, "Dream to Become a Chef," U.S. Army Garrison Fort Hood CYS Services (Texas)
  • Kyler H., 17, "Chef Kyler," Boys & Girls Clubs of Porter County (Ind.)
• Movie Film Category
  • Victoria S., 8, "Playground Dreams," Boys & Girls Clubs of Sarasota County (Fla.)
  • Jimmy L., 9, "Playground Dreams," Boys & Girls Clubs of Sarasota County (Fla.)
  • Ethan N., 11, "Training for the Future," Lackland Air Force Base Youth Programs (Texas)
  • Steven T., 14, "I Want To Be," Lawrence Boys & Girls Club (Mass.)
  • Tyler G., 18, "Play Hard, Work Harder," Boys & Girls Clubs of the Peninsula (Calif.)

The 2013 national winners of the ImageMakers National Photography Contest are:

• Culture & Tradition Category:
  • Armonie R., 18, "Dad and Sons," Dyess Air Force Base Youth Programs (Texas)
  • Christiana H., 14, "Mardi Gras," Boys & Girls Clubs of the Midlands, Inc. (Iowa)
  • Emerson R., 9, "Japanese Wishes," Lunney Youth Center (Japan)
  • Jania T., 11, "Feather Headdress," Boys & Girls Club of the Eastern Panhandle (W.Va.)
• Portraits Category:
  • Ivana F., 12, "Pray for God to Help," Boys & Girls Club of the Eastern Panhandle (W.Va.)
  • Kenera H., 7, "Delayjah," Boys & Girls Clubs of San Francisco (Calif.)
  • Makenzie E., 18, "Eyes," Vicenza Youth Services, U.S. Army Garrison Vicenza (Italy)
  • Noah B., 15, "Contemplation," Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Minnesota (Minn.)
• Surroundings Category:
  • Jonny O., 12, "The Rock," Boys & Girls Club of Malibu (Calif.)
  • Marisella M., 9, "Through the Fence," Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Denver (Colo.)
  • Tanisha D., 13, "Parking Lot," Boys & Girls Club of the Twin Cities (Minn.)
  • Xan S., 17, "Eye of Summer," Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Alabama (Ala.)
• Photo with Essay or Poem Category:
  • Georgia P., 10, "Chava," Boys & Girls Clubs of San Francisco (Calif.)
  • Iyana F., 9, "Light," The Salvation Army Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Oklahoma (Okla.)
  • Samantha C., 13, "The Call of the Rain," Edwards Air Force Base Youth Activities (Calif.)
  • Zach M., 18, "Travel Is What Moves Me," Boys & Girls Clubs of North Alabama (Ala.)

About Boys & Girls Clubs of America
For more than 100 years, Boys & Girls Clubs of America (GreatFutures.org) has enabled young people most in need to achieve great futures as productive, caring, responsible citizens. Today, more than 4,000 Clubs serve nearly 4 million young people through Club membership and community outreach. Clubs are located in cities, towns, public housing and on Native American lands throughout the country, and serve military families in BGCA-affiliated Youth Centers on U.S. military installations worldwide. They provide a safe place, caring adult mentors, fun and friendship, and high-impact youth development programs on a daily basis during critical non-school hours. Club programs promote academic success, good character and citizenship, and healthy lifestyles. In a Harris Survey of alumni, 57 percent said the Club saved their lives. National headquarters are located in Atlanta. Learn more at http://bgca.org/facebook and http://bgca.org/twitter.