Fine and Performing Arts announces Nebraska Young Artist awards

            The University of Nebraska-Lincoln's Hixson-Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts has announced the winners of the 16th annual Nebraska Young Artist awards.

            The Nebraska Young Artist Awards annually recognize 11th-grade students from Nebraska who are gifted and talented in the areas of visual art, dance, music, theatre, and film and new media. These students exemplify the pinnacles of creativity in one of the fine and performing arts.

            Eighty students from more than 40 high schools across the state have been selected to participate in the special day of activities on April 3 at UNL.

            Students applied for the recognition and submitted an example of their work. Applications were received from 166 students across the state. Hixson-Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts faculty chose the students who will come to UNL to be recognized.

            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 Museum of Art's auditorium at 3 p.m. Students will receive a certificate, as well as an original piece of artwork commissioned for this event and created by a Department of Art and Art History printmaking student.

            Following is a list by school of Nebraska Young Artist Award winners and their artistic area. The student's hometown is listed in parentheses if it differs from the school.

            Arnold: Leah Smith, visual art.

            Ashland-Greenwood: Serena Rohrbough (Greenwood), dance.

            Bellevue East: Rachel Goins, visual art; Miranda Serna, dance; Shara Rose Yumul, visual art.

            Blair: Hunter Mruz, theatre and film.

            Cozad: Troi Arnold, visual art; Sara Weber, dance.

            Crete: Drew Amen, theatre and film.

            Fremont: Susannah Graff, music; Heath Richards, music; Lila Wolfe, music.

            Gering: Vanessa Woolsey, music.

            Hastings: Tessa Pendergast, dance.

            Hastings St. Cecilia: Lily Nguyen, dance.

            Home school: Abi Swanson (Lincoln), music; Rachel Trexel (Lincoln), music.

            Kearney: Sydney Engberg, dance; Megan Jaeger, visual art; Lainey Russell, dance.

            Lincoln East: Lauren Bydalek, music.

            Lincoln High: Landon Beard, theatre and film; Lillian Bornstein, theatre and film; Amy Brandt, theatre and film; Madeleine Miller, theatre and film; Anika Zempleni, music; Tori Hinrichs, theatre and film.

            Lincoln North Star: Jack Kloecker, music; Taylor Wehrs, dance.

            Lincoln Pius X: Anna Arndt, dance; Natalie Pieper, dance; Jennifer Wichers, visual art; Maria Woods, music.

            Lincoln Southwest: Kendra Cooper, visual art; Makaria Kirianov, dance; Mattison Merritt, theatre and film; Annaliese Saathoff, music; Ellie Wiltfong, music.

            Lindsay Holy Family: Emily Hemmer (Humphrey), visual art.

            Malcolm: Athalee Lynn, theatre and film.

            Millard North: Sheng-Yau Lim (Omaha), music; Jeffrey Wang (Omaha), music.

            Millard South: David Baker (Omaha), music; Courtney Cole (Omaha), visual art; Tara Lewis (Omaha), visual art; Garrett Onderlinde (Omaha), music; Kendra Patania (Omaha), visual art; Kyle Wright (Omaha), music.

            Minden: Morgan Linder, visual art.

            Newman Grove: Brooke Pieke, theatre and film.

            Norris: Jessica Dubas (Lincoln), dance; Melissa Rahorst (Cortland), music.

            Oakland-Craig: Kameron Shelley (Oakland), theatre and film.

            Omaha Brownell-Talbot: Grace Bydalek, music; Mia Hopkins, visual art.

            Omaha Central: Rebecca Biodrowski, visual art; Madeline Koesters, dance; Caitlin McGee, visual art; Patrick Nolan, music; Lara Pfeiffer, visual art; Eddie Schooler, music; Kathleen Stibbs, visual art; Augustus Welch, visual art; Alex Wirth, visual art.

            Omaha North: Madeline Nelson, theatre and film.

            Omaha Northwest: Brianna Bagshaw, visual art; Benjamin Carey, visual art; Juan Mora-Amaral, visual art.

            Omaha Skutt: Christine Szczepaniak, visual art.

            Omaha South: Jataun Pratt, dance; Maria Reyes, dance.

            Omaha Westside: Joseph Toy, music.

            O'Neill: Davita Dick (Inman), visual art.

            Papillion-La Vista: Abigail Campbell (La Vista), visual art.

            Papillion-La Vista South: Zachary Little (Papillion), music, and theatre and film.

            Plattsmouth: Kayla Dale, theatre and film; Kaeli Leget, music, and theatre and film.

            Verdigre: Kylie Knigge, visual art.

            Waverly: Emily Clark (Lincoln), music.

            Yutan: J.T. McLaughlin, music.

Writer: Kathe Andersen