YoungArts Announces Top 148 Young Artists in America

YoungArts, the core program of the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts (NFAA), has announced its 30th class of 148 YoungArts finalists. These students, recognized for their excellent work in nine disciplines across the visual, literary and performing arts, will come to Miami for YoungArts Week, January 10-14, 2011. This year, 11% of the finalists, 17 out of 148, are from New York, one of the states with the second highest amount of finalists. A full finalist list is available at www.youngarts.org/2011-finalists

This year's finalists represent the top 3% of the application pool and were selected through a strenuous blind adjudication process from a pool of 5,164 applications. They represent disciplines from world dance to woodwinds; from non-fiction writing to Jazz trumpet. At YoungArts Week, all finalists will participate in master classes with internationally renowned artists, workshops, interdisciplinary activities, performances and exhibitions, and all young artists finalists attending YoungArts week will win a cash award of at least $1,000, with top-level awardees receiving $10,000.

The 17 finalists from New York are:

Name
Hometown
Category
High School
Devon Taylor Leaver
Amagansett, NY
Cinematic Arts
Ross School
Jaimi Elizabeth Cullen
Penfield, NY
Dance- Ballet
Keystone National High School
Cassandra Trenary
New York, NY
Dance- Ballet
Professional Performing Arts School
Alexzandra Sarmiento
Jamaica, NY
Dance- Modern
Fiorello H. Laguardia High School
Caleb Teicher
Mahopac, NY
Dance- Tap
Mahopac High School
Gabriel Schnider
Accord, NY
Jazz- Guitar
Poughkeepsie Day School
Nick Singer
New York, NY
Jazz-Trumpet
Lexington High School
Conrad Tao
New York, NY
Music Instrumental
Indiana University High School
Erika Mitsui
New York, NY
Music Instrumental
Dalton School
Zachary Hammond
Rochester, NY
Music Instrumental
Neuqua Valley High School
Christina Ames
East Williston, NY
Theater
Wheatley School
Wayne Manswell
New York, NY
Theater
Fiorello H Laguardia High School
Tammy Kim
Westbury, NY
Visual Arts
W Tresper Clarke High School
Mary-Elizabeth O' Neill
Huntington, NY
Voice- Mezzo Soprano
Huntington High School
India Carney
Brooklyn, NY
Voice- Popular Voice
Fiorello H Laguardia High School
Ruby Spiegel
Brooklyn, NY
Writing- Play or Script
Saint Anns School
Filipa Ioannou
New York, NY
Writing- Poetry
Hunter College High School

All finalists will be adjudicated to determine further award levels, including participation in the special, New York-based In The Studio, another week of workshops for YoungArts Gold and Silver Finalists. YoungArts 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 by the Presidential Scholars Foundation.

Top YoungArts alumni who benefitted from YoungArts Week include painter John Currin, multimedia artists Doug Aitken, actors Adrian Grenier, Vanessa Williams and Kerry Washington, musicians Josh Groban and Jennifer Koh, writer Allegra Goodman and choreographer Desmond Richardson.

"This will be the 30th class of young artists to come through our program, and the quality of this year's finalists is a testament to the strength and prestige of our program," says DePaul. "It is our hope that through supporting these artists, we are helping to ensure the continuous creations of American artists."

YoungArts is the only organization in the nation to recognize students in each of nine artistic disciplines-cinematic arts, dance, jazz, music, photography, theater, visual arts, voice and writing.

About YoungArts Week:
Each year, the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts (NFAA) invites up to 150 of the nation's most talented young artists to Miami for a week of intense learning experiences to aid in their artistic development. This week is a key part of the nomination process for the prestigious Presidential Scholars in the Arts, as students are adjudicated throughout the week for nomination to this honor. Throughout YoungArts Week, there are performances, readings, exhibitions and screenings that are free and open to the public. More information is available at www.youngarts.org/exhibitions-and-performances. YoungArts Week is supported through the generosity of the following organizations: National Premier Sponsor Carnival Cruise Lines, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, the Miami Herald, the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs and the Cultural Affairs Council, the Miami-Dade County Mayor and Board of County Commissioners, Canon Business Solutions, the National Endowment for the Arts, The Miami Parking Authority and Coca-Cola North America.

About YoungArts:
YoungArts, the core program of the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts (NFAA), is the signature national program that recognizes and supports America's most talented 17-18 year olds in the visual, literary and performing arts. The mission of YoungArts is to identify emerging artists and assist them at critical junctures in their educational and professional development, and to raise the appreciation for, and support of, the arts in American society. YoungArts provides financial awards, master classes with world-renowned artists and a rich network of professional contacts and career development opportunities; all applicants are eligible for some $3 million in scholarships from prestigious colleges and universities around the world. YoungArts partners with the Presidential Scholars Foundation, the arm of the U.S. Department of Education honoring the nation's most deserving high school seniors. YoungArts is the sole nominating agency for the Presidential Scholars in the Arts, an honor given to just 20 seniors, who receive their award at the White House.

YoungArts regional programs in New York City and Miami are hands-on, laboratory programs designed to provide additional resources and enrichment. Participants have access to informative workshops , information about scholarships in the arts, career guidance, and portfolio development resources. YoungArts' 16,000 alumni include Broadway actors, award-winning playwrights, published authors and numerous well-known visual artists and notable names and arts advocates like Vanessa Williams, Allegra Goodman, John Currin and Kerry Washington.

For more information about YoungArts, visit www.youngarts.org.