Nebraska Young Artist Award winners announced

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln's Hixson-Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts announced winners of the 10th annual Nebraska Young Artist awards.

Sixty-five students from more than 30 high schools across the state have been selected to participate in the special day of activities April 11 at UNL. The Nebraska Young Artist annual awards recognize 11th-grade students who are gifted and talented in the areas of visual art, dance, music and theater. 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. More than 160 students applied from across the state. Hixson-Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts faculty selected the award winners.

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

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 day will conclude with an awards ceremony in the Sheldon Memorial Art Gallery auditorium at 3 p.m. Students will receive a certificate, as well as an original piece of artwork commissioned for this event. This year's print will be created by UNL graduate student Kelly Manning, a Nebraska native and a recipient of a Nebraska Young Artist Award in 1998, the first year of the awards. Manning is a master of fine arts degree candidate in painting in the Department of Art and Art History, where she holds a Hixson-Lied Fellowship.

Following is a list by high school of Nebraska Young Artist Award winners and their artistic area. The student's hometown is included in parentheses where appropriate.

Ainsworth: Karl Boyer (Long Pine), visual art

Amherst: Christopher Gugel, music.

Bellevue West: Gage Wallace, theatre.

Columbus: Michael Glur-Zoucha, music.

Columbus Scotus: Kaitlin Roh, visual art.

Crawford: Tracy Witt, music.

Fremont: Matthew Hegstrom, theatre; James Watson, music; Kathleen Watson, music.

Gering: Aaron Raines, music.

Grand Island: Sarah Dodendorf, visual art; Jordan Ramsey, visual art.

Hastings: Edd Casas, visual art.

Humphrey: Jordan Costello, theatre.

Lincoln East: Sasan Choobineh, music; Danielle Olson, dance; Sarah Preston, dance.

Lincoln High: Will Bennett, theatre; Catherine Dvorak, theatre; Alissa Goodding, music; Mike Maly, theatre; Cherise Matz, music; Bonita Rickers, theatre; Christiana Wismer, music.

Lincoln Lutheran: Kaitlin Heibel, dance.

Lincoln Northeast and Focus Program at the Zoo: Renee Guittar, dance.

Lincoln Southeast: Rose Heydt, theatre; Sean Rocke, theatre; Rachel Schmit, music; Jessie Tidball, theatre.

Lincoln Southwest: Arica Coleman, music; Kinsley Fisher, visual art; Meghan Henderson, music; Ali Malik, music; Meredith Ramsay (Roca), music.

Loomis: Rylee Bartruff, visual art; Cecelia Schrock (Elm Creek), visual art.

Loup City: Marissa Eurek, visual art.

McCook: Hannah Roschewski (Culbertson), visual art.

Millard North: Melanie Holm, music; Olivia Krueger, music; Amanda Ludes, visual art; Kirsten Miller, theatre; Judy Radloff, visual art; James Vair, music.

Millard West: Kelsey Hutchinson, dance; Megan Ingraham, music; Candace Taylor, music.

Nebraska City Lourdes: Jessica Becklun (Plattsmouth), visual art.

Norris: Christine Rahorst (Firth), music; Jordan Helgenberger (Firth), music.

North Platte: Morgan Allberry, theatre; Erik Gosnell, theatre.

Omaha Bryan: Samantha Brock (Bellevue), theatre.

Omaha Central: Rachael Farhat, visual art; Anne Newman, visual art; Betsy Wallace, visual art.

Omaha Skutt: Nick Wedige, theatre.

Papillion-LaVista South: Jared Dailey (Papillion), music and theatre.

Raymond Central: Jessica Walla (Ceresco), visual art; Elizabeth Grimes (Raymond), visual art.

Seward: Ciara McCormack (Goehner), music and dance.

Verdigre: Megan Hansen (Orchard), visual art.

Waverly: Erica Bohac, dance.

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