Nebraska Young Artist Award winners announced

The Hixson-Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln has announced winners of the ninth-annual Nebraska Young Artist Awards.

Seventy-six students from more than 40 high schools across the state have been selected to participate in the special day of activities on campus March 29. The Nebraska Young Artist Awards annually recognize 11th-grade students who are gifted and talented in the areas of visual art, dance, music and theatre. These students exemplify the pinnacles of creativity in one of the fine and performing arts.

Students applied for the recognition and submitted an example of their work. Applications were received from more than 140 students across the state. Hixson-Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts faculty chose students who will be recognized.

Honored students will take tours of arts facilities, attend classes, and meet faculty and college students. Parents will also be invited, and they will take tours, as well as receive information on careers in the arts and college curriculum.

The day will conclude with an awards ceremony at 3 p.m. in the Sheldon Memorial Art Gallery auditorium. Students will receive a certificate and an original piece of artwork commissioned for this event made by sophomore Ben Kamprath, a printmaking student in the Department of Art and Art History.

Students selected to participate in the Nebraska Young Artist Awards will also be asked to nominate the teacher who provided them with the greatest amount of mentoring and support in the development of their special talents. The teachers will be invited to participate in the March 29 activities and those attending will be recognized during the awards ceremony.

Following is a list by high school of the 2006 Nebraska Young Artist Award winners. The student's hometown is listed in parentheses if the town is not included in the school name.

Alliance: Kyren Conley, visual art.

Bellevue East: Katrina Powell, theatre.

Bellevue West: Micah Pischnotte, music; Jessica White, dance.

Blair: Jenna Gentzler, visual art; Amanda Stricklett, visual art.

Bridgeport: Cassandra Lapaseotes, visual art; Bethany Pankowski, visual art.

Columbus Scotus: Natasha Scholz, visual art.

Crete: Ashley Nitzel, dance.

Deshler: April Christensen (Hardy), music.

Diller-Odell: Shelly Lottman (Diller), visual art.

Eustis-Farnam: Megan Dunlap (Eustis), visual art.

Fremont: Vivianna Jensen, visual art; Lisa Olson, music; Anna Peterson, music.

Hastings: Chelsea Miller, visual art.

High Plains: Trent Norquest (Polk), visual art.

Home school: Jill Coffman (Hickman), music.

Lincoln East: Sierra Andersen, dance; Lauren Beitel, dance; Mitch Paine, music; Madeline Ripa, music; Allison Schorr, music; Lauren Thompson, music.

Lincoln High: Matthew Boring, music; Ayana DeNovellis, theatre; Devin McCanley, music; Maya Naff, theatre; Jaamie Sidney, visual art.

Lincoln Northeast: Jessica Lloyd, dance.

Lincoln Pius X: Ricardo Izquierdo, visual art.

Lincoln Southeast: Celeste Case-Ruchala, music.

Lincoln Southwest: Colin Creveling, music.

Loup City: Nicholas Eurek, theatre.

Loup County: Daniel Sullivan (Taylor), visual art.

Malcolm: Lauren Williams, visual art.

McCook: Emily Geschwentner, visual art; Miranda Sis, visual art.

Milford: Sara Tonjes, visual art.

Millard North: Kristine Hong (Omaha), music; Tessa Morford, visual art.

Millard South: Elise Sunde (Omaha), visual art.

Millard West: Danielle Hoechner (Omaha), dance.

Norris: Kelsey Ankerson (Hickman), music; Andrew Keralis (Lincoln), music.

North Platte: Jeffrey Bunker, music.

Omaha Bryan: Kyle Carruthers, visual art.

Omaha Central: Robert Al-Greene, visual art; Michaela Bradley, visual art; Emily Harrison, visual art; Aimee Koenig, music; Nicole Roberts, visual art; Lindsay Schulz, visual art; Sophie Wang, visual art.

Omaha Northwest: Calen Calero, theatre.

Overton: Alejandro Morales, visual art.

Papillion-LaVista: Evan Major (Papillion), visual art.

Pawnee City: Tyler Derby (DuBois), visual art; Correy Hinrichsen (DuBois), visual art.

Perkins County: Sarah Wurst (Grant), visual art.

Raymond Central: Dani Jambor (Raymond), visual art; Courtney Masek (Valparaiso), visual art; Sarah Smith (Davey), visual art; Emily Ward (Raymond), visual art.

Saint Paul: Amber Morinelli, visual art; David Tuma, visual art.

Silver Lake: Rachel Hall (Campbell), visual art; Shayla Trausch (Roseland), visual art.

Southern Valley: Blake Holen (Oxford), theatre.

Superior: Andrew Leibel, theatre.

Verdigre: Kaye Rohrer, visual art.

Wallace: Philip Lempke, visual art.

Waverly: Elizabeth Porath (Eagle), music; Kelly Stading (Eagle), visual art.

Winside: Sam Barg, music.

CONTACT: Kathe Andersen, Publications Coordinator, Fine & Performing Arts, (402) 472-9355