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 17th annual Nebraska Young Artist awards.

            The awards 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.

            Sixty-four students from more than 35 high schools across the state have been selected to participate in the special day of activities on April 9 at UNL.

            Students applied for the recognition and submitted an example of their work. Applications were received from 188 students across the state. Hixson-Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts faculty chose the 64 students who will come to campus 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 UNL Department of Art and Art History printmaking student.

            A list of Nebraska Young Artist Award winners by hometown follows. Their artistic area(s) are listed and the name of their high school is included in parentheses if it differs from the name of the town.

            Beatrice: Ian Doyle, dance; Chauncey Kleveland, music.

            Bellevue: Jade McNeill (East), dance; Brooke Winsor (East), visual art.

            Cedar Bluffs: Rachael Meyer (Wahoo), visual art.

            Cedar Rapids: Amber Armatys, music.

            Council Bluffs, Iowa: Jacob Hedrick (Omaha Creighton Prep), visual art.

            Cozad: Kaitlyn Davis, dance; Haley Werner, dance.

            Dalton: Ethan Nelson (home school), music and visual art.

            David City: Allegra Hardin, theatre arts.

            Eagle: Rachel Merrill (Lincoln Pius X), dance.

            Exeter: Jordyn Brandt (Exeter-Milligan), music.

            Fremont: Sarah Hokamp, music.

            Geneva: Nicholas Eichelberger (Fillmore Central), music.

            Gering: Ciara Sabala, music.

            Grant: Samantha Snogren (Perkins County), visual art.

            Holdrege: Lindsay Warning, visual art.

            Kearney: Allison Bauer, dance; Blakeley Bond, dance; Rachel Mattley, dance.

            La Vista: Kenneth Pancake (Papillion-La Vista), music; Katie Pohlman (Omaha Skutt), dance.

            Lincoln: Sam Colwell (Southeast), music; Alexis Cruz (Lincoln High), theatre arts; Mary Dowd (home school), music; Collette Hamersky (East), dance; Rachele Merliss (Lincoln High), theatre arts; Josiah Morgan (Lincoln High), theatre arts; Catherine Nyberg (Lincoln High), theatre arts; Liza Piccoli (Southwest), dance; Olivia Reid (Southwest), music and theatre arts; Paul Schack (Lincoln High), theatre arts; Isabel Schneider (Lincoln High), theatre arts; Abby Siedell (Southeast), music; An Tran (Northeast), music; Ingrid Zhang (East), music.

            McCook: Rebekah Huff, visual art; Anna Kennedy, dance.

            Murdock: Naomi Snyder (Elmwood-Murdock), music.

            North Platte: Christopher Wheeler, music.

            Omaha: John Abboud (Creighton Prep), visual art; Jennifer Ahn (Westside), music; Zach Blaylock (Creighton Prep), visual art; Libby Bullerdick (Central), visual art; Jocelyn Camarillo Rosas (South), dance; McKenna Carnell (North), dance; Gina Comstock (Central), music; Louis Floersch (Creighton Prep), visual art; Tessa Harlow (Central), visual art; Evan Hoylman (Millard South), music; Sarah Kutler (Central), visual art; Jada Loro (Creighton Prep), visual art; Ashley McGuire (Central), visual art; Emily McMinn (Marian), visual art; Megan Rhoades (North), visual art; Emily Weide (Central), visual art.

            Papillion: Emily Tencer (Papillion-La Vista South), theatre arts.

            Potter: Donica Enevoldsen (home school), music.

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

            Verdigre: Alex Hollmann, visual art.

            Wahoo: Lukas McIlhaney, music.

            Waverly: Alyssa Pracht, music.

            Wymore: Sydney Saathoff (Southern), visual art.

Writer: Kathe Andersen