They may not have everything they need just yet. Who does in high school?
But they are artists. And when they look back, they can say this:
They were the six high school students chosen by prestigious panels of judges to be named the Artists of the Year in 2016 by The Orange County Register.
[Related: Gallery of all finalists]
For the third year in a row, the Register’s Artist of the Year program is honoring juniors and seniors nominated by their arts teachers because they stand out among their peers in theater, dance, film, vocal music, visual arts and instrumental music.
Our program is catching on. This year, the number of students nominated was double that of last year: 391 nominations representing 74 county high school programs.
The selection process starts with an invitation to teachers countywide to nominate artists in each of the six disciplines. We ask them to identify the top talent at their school. We want nominees with a depth of character and artistic vision to match their talent.
What we receive is not just a list of names.
The teachers share with us their thoughts on what makes the students’ artistic talent unique or special, and they describe how they have contributed to the artistic legacy at their schools and in their communities.
And the nominees? They not only submit their resumes and samples of their work, but they provide written statements that include describing an experience that stoked their passion for their art.
Once the nominees are winnowed down to the Top 10 in each discipline, they have to deliver the goods – dancing, singing, playing an instrument, acting or displaying their paintings, sculptures, photographs – in front of professional artists.
The selection process is tough, so much so that in addition to the six Artists of the Year, we are including honorable mentions this year: two students in each discipline that the judges felt deserved to be named for their top-notch work.
Really, all of the nominees should take a bow. All are artists in their own right. Their talents and the hard work they’ve put in so far will serve them well whatever they do in life.
But, in the eyes of the judges, they were outshone by the Artists of the Year. So, let the spotlight linger on these six Orange County high school students:
Allison Cruz, Aliso Niguel High School, theater
Kyle Gabriel, Valencia High School, vocal music
Nicholas Im, Arnold O. Beckman High School, instrumental music
Nicolas Jackson, Canyon High School, film
Yeo Jean Song, Orange County School of the Arts, visual arts
Amanda Sun, Orange County School of the Arts, dance
Contact the writer: 714-796-2258 or varsityarts@ocregister.com
