2017 YoungArts Winner Applications Now Open

The National YoungArts Foundation (YoungArts) announces today that applications to become a 2017 YoungArts Winner will be accepted 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.

YoungArts Disciplines/Categories
The YoungArts application consists of ten disciplines across the visual, literary, design and performing arts. They are listed below alongside the respective subcategories to which students may apply:

· Cinematic Arts

· Dance: Ballet, Choreography, Hip Hop, Jazz, Modern, Tap, World Dance (various forms)

· Design Arts

· Jazz: Composition and Instrumental (various)

· Classical Music: Composition and Instrumental (various)

· Photography

· Theater

· Visual Arts

· Voice: Classical, Jazz, Popular and Singer-Songwriter

· Writing: Creative Non-Fiction, Novel, Play or Script, Poetry, Short Story, Spoken Word

2016 YoungArts Winners
Selected out of more than 12,000 applications-the largest number to date-819 YoungArts Winners from 42 states were recognized for their outstanding work across the visual, literary, design and performing arts fields. A complete list of the 2016 winners is available here: 2016 YoungArts Winners.

YoungArts Alumni
YoungArts' expansive alumni network of leading professionals includes visual artists Doug Aitken (1986 Winner in Visual Arts) and Daniel Arsham (1999 Winner in Visual Arts); musicians Conrad Tao (2011 Winner in Music and U.S. Presidential Scholar in the Arts) and Jennifer Koh (1994 Winner in Music and U.S. Presidential Scholar in the Arts); filmmaker Doug Blush (1984 Winner in Cinematic Arts); recording artists Josh Groban (1999 Winner in Theater) and Chris Young (2003 Winner in Voice and U.S. Presidential Scholar in the Arts); writer Sam Lipsyte (1986 Winner in Writing and U.S. Presidential Scholar in the Arts); actors Viola Davis (1983 Winner in Theater), Andrew Rannells (1997 Winner in Theater) and Kerry Washington (1994 Winner in Theater); choreographers Camille A. Brown (1997 Winner in Dance and U.S. Presidential Scholar in the Arts) and Desmond Richardson (1986 Winner in Modern Dance and U.S. Presidential Scholar in the Arts).

About the National YoungArts Foundation
The National YoungArts Foundation (YoungArts) was established in 1981 by Lin and Ted Arison to identify and nurture the most accomplished young artists in the visual, literary, design and performing arts, and assist them at critical junctures in their educational and professional development. Through a wide range of annual programs, regular performances, and partnerships with some of the nation's leading cultural institutions, YoungArts aspires to create a strong community of alumni and a platform for a lifetime of encouragement, opportunity and support.

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