National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts, Inc.

YoungArts offers new and expanded opportunities for award winners to create, develop and present their work, and to connect with audiences through a variety of initiatives, such as residencies, interdisciplinary classes, exhibitions, and performances.

YoungArts Residency programs foster creative growth for projects in early stage development by providing artists with financial support or dedicated time and space, either on the YoungArts campus or in their home cities through strategic partnerships. In response to the ongoing uncertainty of the pandemic, YoungArts has activated and expanded its national network of cultural partnerships in an effort to serve artists where they live while simultaneously supporting the larger cultural ecology.

Through a series of interdisciplinary sessions, classes and conversations, YoungArts award winners will have the opportunity to collaborate with their peers from other disciplines, be exposed to new techniques and principles, and learn about tools and concepts that are essential to deepening and growing their creative process. We offer award winners ongoing virtual interdisciplinary classes with renowned artists including Ohad Naharin, Rosie Herrera, Germane Barnes, Marika Hughes and Lemon Anderson.

YoungArts exhibitions feature work by artists across generations, created in a range of mediums and often at different stages in their careers. Curated around the most urgent and relevant themes of our time, exhibitions are organized by respected curators and artists in the field.

Performances featuring YoungArts award winners provide a platform for presentation and a way to cultivate new work at some of the most exciting venues and stages, and with some of the top organizations and collaborators, in the U.S.

YoungArts offers professional development programs, skills-building workshops, artist residencies and cultural partnerships to help artists advance their careers and their professional networks.

From intimate, discipline-specific panel discussions with industry leaders, to interactive workshops across artistic disciplines, the Up Next professional development series is designed to help advance the careers of artists through skills building and mentorship.

Up Next Focus – Up Next Focus are intimate, discipline-specific opportunities for YoungArts award winners to speak with working artists and industry leaders. Held both virtually and in-person, these sessions allow YoungArts artists to connect with professionals in the field, and receive insight into successfully navigating a career path in the arts.

Up Next Skills – Up Next Skills helps prepare YoungArts award winners for a long-term career in the arts through a series of virtual skills-building workshops covering topics such as fundraising, grant-writing, budget management and financial wellness, contract negotiation, branding and more.

Every year five YoungArts filmmakers under the age of 25 are invited through an open-call process on YoungArts Post to attend the Sundance Film Festival and participate in the Ignite program of activities during the second weekend of the festival. YoungArts award winners attend panels and workshops with other young filmmakers, meet with established professionals and view films debuting at the prestigious festival.

Every year the YoungArts Miami Film Festival Curatorial Residency program offers two levels of participation for YoungArts award winners. In the first stage, five artists are selected through open call on YoungArts Post to serve as curatorial trainees, screening and reviewing films for potential selection for Miami Film Festival. If recommended films are selected, the trainee may have the opportunity to introduce the film at the festival. All participating filmmakers receive personal, critical feedback from Miami Film Festival’s Executive Director & Co-Director of Programming Jaie Laplante.

In the second stage, one YoungArts award winner who shows outstanding promise as a curatorial trainee is offered a paid position with the festival as a Program Consultant to the Screening Committee, which includes viewing, recommending and securing feature films for the Festival. All participating filmmakers receive personal, critical feedback from Miami Film Festival’s Executive Director & Co-Director of Programming Jaie Laplante.

YoungArts provides award winners with grants, awards, creative and emergency microgrants, and unrestricted funding throughout their artistic careers.

All YoungArts award winners－Finalist, Honorable Mention and Merit award levels－receive cash prizes between $100 and $10,000. The YoungArts award competition is open to artists (1) between the ages of 15–18 or in high school grades 10–12 (2) that are United States citizens, permanent residents or are legally able to receive taxable income in the United States (3) that demonstrate excellence in Classical Music, Dance, Design Arts, Film, Jazz, Photography, Theater, Visual Arts, Voice or Writing.

Microgrants provide up to $5,000 monthly to award winners seeking support for a wide range of artist needs and professional development opportunities, including travel expenses to a residency, registration fees for a conference or class, the purchase of equipment, studio rental fees and more.

YoungArts offers award winners complimentary use of space for rehearsals, performances or meetings at the YoungArts Campus, including the Jewel Box, Ted’s and outdoor areas.

The U.S. Presidential Scholars Program was established in 1964 by President Lyndon B. Johnson in order to recognize and honor the nation’s top graduating high school seniors. In 1979, the program was expanded to include students who demonstrated talent in the visual, creative and performing arts. The program was expanded again in 2015 to recognize students who demonstrate ability and accomplishment in career and technical education fields.

Scholars are selected annually by the White House Commission on Presidential Scholars, based on academic achievement, personal characteristics, leadership and service activities, and writing ability. Every year, thousands of candidates qualify for the program based on outstanding performance on the College Board SAT and ACT exams, and through nominations made by Chief State School Officers or YoungArts.

During National YoungArts Week, eligible participants are further evaluated, award levels are determined, and nominations are made for that year’s U.S. Presidential Scholars in the Arts candidates.

After the rigorous selection process, YoungArts nominates 60 candidates to apply to the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program. From those 60 candidates, the Commission on Presidential Scholars selects 20 U.S. Presidential Scholars in the Arts each year based on artistic achievement, personal characteristics and leadership and service activities.