YoungArts Announces 2012 Best and Brightest Young Artists in the Nation
Wellington High School Senior Allison Parssi is a YoungArts Merit Award Winner!
MIAMI, FL () –Allison Parssi, a senior at Wellington Community High School , is a YoungArts Merit Award Winner in photography. Chosen from more than 5,000 applicants in nine disciplines in the visual, literary and performing arts, Ms. Parssi will receive a monetary award and join the ranks of the 16,000 YoungArts alumni, including such notables as multimedia artist Doug Aitken; actors Vanessa Williams, Raúl Esparza and Kerry Washington; and musicians Nicki Minaj and Chris Young. YoungArts is the core program of the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts (NFAA).December 10, 2011
Ms. Parssi is one of this year’s YoungArts 271 Merit Award Winners, selected in a blind adjudication process from a pool representing all 50 states and the District of Columbia, as well as all U.S. territories. There are a total of 597 YoungArts winners in total, including 152 YoungArts Finalists. YoungArts Finalists are invited to attend YoungArts Week in Miami during the week of January 9-14, 2012, which includes master classes taught by world-renowned artists; performances and exhibitions; and further adjudication leading to the possibility to become a U.S. Presidential Scholar in the Arts and visit the White House. YoungArts Week performances will be streamed live on www.youngarts.org. All winners also will be eligible to participate in Regional Programs in New York and Miami.
“We are honored to recognize all of these fine young artists,” said Paul T. Lehr, NFAA’s Executive Director of YoungArts. “They represent the next generation of extraordinary artistic talent, and it is our hope that their experience with YoungArts will compel them to pursue their passions.”
YoungArts is the only organization in the nation to recognize students in nine discipline categories of cinematic arts, dance, jazz, music, photography, theater, visual arts, voice and writing.
YoungArts is the core program of the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts (NFAA). The organization’s mission is to identify emerging artists, provide educational enrichment and assistance in their pursuit of the arts, and to raise the appreciation for and support of the arts in American society. Dedicated to inspiring and nurturing young artists, NFAA was founded in 1981 by businessman and visionary, the late Ted Arison, and his wife Lin. The YoungArts program identifies the next generation of emerging artists and contributes to the cultural vitality of the nation by investing in the artistic development of thousands of gifted artists in nine disciplines in the performing, literary and visual arts. At the request of The Commission on Presidential Scholars, which is appointed by the President of the United States , NFAA serves as the exclusive nominating agency for the U.S. Presidential Scholars in the Arts.
The YoungArts program has honored over 16,000 young artists with more than $6 million in monetary awards and nearly $84 million in college scholarship opportunities. Alumni go on to become leading professionals in their fields. Alumni include actresses Vanessa Williams and Kerry Washington, four-time Tony Award nominee Raúl Esparza, Executive Director of American Ballet Theatre Rachel Moore, recording artists Nicki Minaj and Chris Young, musician Jennifer Koh, choreographer Desmond Richardson, and internationally acclaimed multimedia artist Doug Aitken.
Media Note: For more information about YoungArts, visit www.youngarts.org. For a complete list of 2012 YoungArts Winners please visit www.youngarts.org/2012-youngarts-winners.
