Nebraska Young Artist Award winners announced

The Hixson-Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln has announced the winners of the 14th-annual Nebraska Young Artist Awards.

Seventy students from more than 40 high schools across the state have been selected to participate in the special day of activities April 6 at UNL. The awards 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 150 students across the state. Hixson-Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts faculty chose the award-winning students.

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 and 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 a 3 p.m. awards ceremony in the Sheldon Museum of Art's auditorium. Students will receive a certificate and a special original piece of artwork commissioned for this event and created by a printmaking student in UNL's Department of Art and Art History.

A list by hometown of the 2011 Nebraska Young Artist Award winners and their artistic areas follows (the name of the student's high school is included in parentheses if it differs from the town).

Ainsworth: Savannah Clapper, visual art.

Bellevue: Jennifer Cervantes (West), dance.

Brownville: Elijah Chase (Johnson-Brock), theatre.

Cedar Bluffs: Taryn Tenopir, visual art.

Columbus: Joel Ostdiek (Scotus), music.

Cozad: Lauren Zimbelman, dance.

Fremont: Corbin Burmester, theatre; Taylor Riecken, visual art.

Fullerton: Morgan Malander, visual art.

Gering: Emily Hauck, music.

Grand Island: Bryce Hesterman (Northwest), music.

Grant: Gabrielle Patrick (Perkins County), visual art; Naomi Schmitt (Perkins County), visual art.

Hastings: Lindsey Griess, visual art; Taylor Hubbard (St. Cecilia), music; Terra Labenz (St. Cecilia), visual art.

Hershey: Joanna Mackley, music.

Lincoln: Noemi Berkowitz (Southwest), theatre; Catherine Coffey (Lincoln High), theatre; Rebecca DeNell (Southwest), visual art; Rachel Dowd (Southwest), dance; Margery Dunkle (Lincoln High), theatre; Jackson Fisher (East), theatre; Brent Flentje (Southwest), music; Eagjan Hsu (East), music; Michael Keating (Lincoln High), theatre; Alena Kinsey (Southeast), music; John Kosch (Southwest), music; Michael Liou (East), music; Madysen Luebke (Lincoln High), dance; Kelsey Marshall (Northeast), dance; Jack Rodenburg (Southeast), music; Tanner Seidel (Northeast), visual art; Tayler Seidel (Northeast), visual art; Leah Urbank (Southeast), visual art; William Voelker (Southeast), theatre; Marguerite Wedeman (Lincoln High), theatre; Olivia Wilson (Lincoln High), music; Maddie Witters (Lincoln High), music.

Loomis: Olivia Rodenbaugh, visual art.

Maywood: Dotti Dodson, dance.

Norfolk: Dustin Wood, music.

North Platte: Brooke Ludemann, music.

Omaha: Samuel Bertino (Central), music; April Bradley (Millard South), visual art; Jacob Christiansen (Millard South), theatre; Emily Hill (Central), music; Kurtis Johnson (Millard South), music; Eric Leise (Westside), music; Harrison Leitch (Central), music; Sheng-Tzu Lim (Millard North), music; Drew Nelson (Westside), music; Katie Samson (Central), visual art; Harry Simmons (Central), music; Lea Stenslokken (Central), visual art; Micah Stoddard (Millard West), music; Noelle West (Marian), dance; Jacob Wilson (Central), music.

O'Neill: Timothy Hansen, music.

Papillion: Adam Sadiq (Papillion-La Vista), theatre.

Schuyler: Shelby Svehla, dance.

Scottsbluff: Rachel Clemens, music.

Seward: Micah Moravec, music.

Sidney: Joshua Blauert, music.

Stamford: Lenaya Thompson (Southern Valley), theatre.

Taylor: Alisa Sandoz (Loup County), visual art.

Tobias: Kate Endorf (Meridian), music.

Verdigre: Pia Huesch, visual art; Tawney Myers, visual art; Cynthia Sokol, visual art.

WRITER: Kathe Andersen