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Meet the Organization Fostering the Next Generation of Artists

Being a YoungArts winner means receiving both financial and artistic support during an important age.
Photo by Katherine Bollens, All images courtesy YoungArts.

In their teenage years, creative minds start to think about their future—and what to do for a living. Oftentimes, there’s pressure to choose a traditional professional route from mentors, parents, and peers. But YoungArts offers students, who are between the ages of 15 and 18, a chance for their minds to pursue artistic passions through scholarships that amount to up to $10,000.

The YoungArts alumni group is a star-studded one: past participants include Viola Davis, Raúl Esparza, Josh Groban, Daniel Arsham, and more. “Choosing to be an artist requires passion and commitment,” Lisa Leone, Vice President of Artistic Programs at YoungArts, tells The Creators Project. “This journey is as challenging as it is magical. The possibilities YoungArts offers for its artists to connect to one another; to engage in earnest conversations with accomplished masters in the field; to develop original works; and to shape the thinking around the future of art-making is more relevant now than ever.”

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When young creatives start to “navigate their career trajectory,” it’s important for them to find support in their artistic endeavors. YoungArts winners not only receive financial support—they get the chance to get nominated for the US Presidential Scholars in Arts recognition, receive educational experiences working with mentors like Mikhail Baryshnikov, Plácido Domingo, Frank Gehry, and Jeff Koons, as well as exhibition opportunities at some of the nation’s leading cultural institutions.

The organization continues to expands its offerings by adding new areas of focus. Recent additions include a “singer/songwriter sub-discipline” and “design.” Currently, Leone explains that the YoungArts team hopes to “grow programs in Miami and across the country” to support even more emerging artists. The National YoungArts Foundation was founded by Lin and Ted Arison in 1981 with the hopes of supporting new generations of artists.

YoungArts is now accepting applications. Learn more about the organization here.

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