National YoungArts Foundation Announces 2014 YoungArts Winners
Media Contacts:
Megan V. Sprenger
Polskin Arts & Communications Counselors
212-593-5889
sprengerm@finnpartners.com
Kaimin Xu
630-248-5395
kaimin.xu@gmail.com
National YoungArts Foundation Announces
2014 YoungArts Winners
Timothy Zhou of Bolingbrook, Illinois is a
YoungArts Honorable Mention Winner in Music
MIAMI, FL (December 23, 2013) – Timothy Zhou of Bolingbrook, Illinois, who hails from the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy, is a National YoungArts Foundation Honorable Mention Winner in Music. Out of approximately 11,000 applications from students in ten disciplines across the literary, performing, visual and design arts fields, Timothy has been recognized for his outstanding work and accomplishments. A complete list of this year's 687 Winners is available online at this link.
“Every year I look forward to reviewing our applications because each one is so inspiring,” stated Paul T. Lehr, President & CEO of the National YoungArts Foundation. “I congratulate all 687 Winners who are incredibly talented and are who we consider to be the most promising young artists in America today.”
YoungArts Winners are designated into three categories–Finalist, Honorable Mention and Merit–and are selected through a blind adjudication process. Honorable Mention award Winners receive at least $250 and along with all 2014 Winners are eligible to participate in the Emmy-nominated HBO series YoungArts MasterClass and in YoungArts' regional programs–YoungArts Miami (February 12-17, 2014), YoungArts Los Angeles (March 18-23, 2014) and YoungArts New York (March 31-April 6, 2014)–space permitting. During these life-changing experiences, participants will take intense master classes and workshops with internationally renowned artists and will have the opportunity to present their work to the public.
All Winners receive a certificate of achievement, a recommendation letter, and the choice to be added to the YoungArts Student List Service (SLS). If added, their information will be sent to participating colleges, universities and professional schools. These schools have expressed interest in identifying young artists they may offer opportunities for admission and/or financial aid, and may be in touch with Winners regarding scholarship opportunities.
Winners also become part of the YoungArts alumni network of 17,000 artists, some of whom have gone on to become leading professionals in their fields including actresses Vanessa Williams, Viola Davis, and Kerry Washington; actor, musician, and filmmaker Adrian Grenier; four-time Tony Award nominee Raúl Esparza; CEO of American Ballet Theatre Rachel Moore; recording artists Nicki Minaj, Chris Young and Josh Groban; Metropolitan Opera star Eric Owens; musicians Terence Blanchard and Jennifer Koh; choreographer Desmond Richardson; visual artist Hernan Bas; and internationally acclaimed multimedia artist Doug Aitken. YoungArts maintains a relationship with its alumni by integrating them into national programs and local events, supporting their projects and seeking ways to promote their artistic ideas and establish connections for them with YoungArts' partners around the country.
YoungArts is the exclusive nominating agency for the U.S. Presidential Scholars in the Arts, the highest honor that can be awarded to any artistically talented graduating high school senior. Every year YoungArts nominates 60 YoungArts Winners to the White House appointed Commission on Presidential Scholars, 20 of whom are then selected to become U.S. Presidential Scholars in the Arts.
About the National YoungArts Foundation
The National YoungArts Foundation (formerly known as the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts) was established in 1981 by Lin and Ted Arison to identify and nurture the next generation of artists in the literary, performing, visual and design arts, and to contribute to the cultural vitality of the nation by supporting the artistic development of talented young artists. Each year, YoungArts receives approximately 11,000 applications from 15-18 year old (or grades 10-12) artists. From this pool, approximately 700 winners are selected and are eligible to participate in YoungArts programs in Miami, New York and Los Angeles. YoungArts provides these emerging artists with life-changing experiences with renowned mentors, access to significant scholarships, national recognition, and other opportunities throughout their careers to help ensure that the nation's most outstanding emerging artists are encouraged to pursue careers in the arts.
To date, YoungArts has honored more than 17,000 young artists with over $6 million in monetary awards; facilitated in excess of $150 million in college scholarship opportunities; and enabled its participants to work with master teachers who are among the most distinguished artists in the world, such as Mikhail Baryshnikov, Jacques d'Amboise, Plácido Domingo, Frank Gehry, Bill T. Jones, Quincy Jones, Robert Redford and Martin Scorsese. In addition, at the request of the Commission on Presidential Scholars, which is appointed by the President of the United States, YoungArts serves as the exclusive nominating agency for the U.S. Presidential Scholars in the Arts, the country's highest honor for young artists. Presidential Scholars in the Arts receive a Presidential Medal and perform at the Kennedy Center and exhibit at the Smithsonian.
Some of YoungArts' work is featured in its Emmy nominated HBO series YoungArts MasterClass, which chronicles the work of renowned artists sharing their art and life experiences with YoungArts Winners. Season 1 featured Edward Albee, Jacques d'Amboise, Plácido Domingo, Olafur Eliasson, Frank Gehry, Bill T. Jones, Julian Schnabel, Michael Tilson Thomas, and Liv Ullmann. Season 2 featured Renée Fleming, John Guare, Patti LuPone, Bobby McFerrin, James Rosenquist, Kathleen Turner and Bruce Weber. Season 3 will include, among others, Wynton Marsalis, Anna Deavere Smith, Alan Alda, Josh Groban, Joshua Bell, and Robert Redford. In conjunction with Columbia University's Teachers College, YoungArts also has developed a Study Guide based on its YoungArts MasterClass series, which is distributed free to schools nationwide to help increase arts education and awareness.
In order to carry on expanded activities locally in Miami and across the country, YoungArts is working with world-renowned architect and YoungArts Artistic Advisor Frank Gehry to transform the former Bacardi Tower and Museum buildings and three and a half acre campus into its national headquarters and support expanded local activities in Miami, FL. The new campus will be a multidisciplinary arts complex with a new Gehry-designed performing arts center and park with state-of-the-art sound and video capabilities. The campus is beginning to host year-round programming including master classes, public screenings and performances, artists in residence throughout the year, and visual arts exhibitions guest curated by institutions based in Miami, New York, and Los Angeles. For more information, visit www.youngarts.org. Select this link to see a brief video about YoungArts. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhn3cb8_pn4&feature=youtu.be
###