National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts

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The National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts (known by the acronym NFAA and sometimes referred to incorrectly as the National Foundation for the Advancement of the Arts) honors the most talented high school seniors in the performing, visual and literary arts from the United States through the Arts Recognition and Talent Search (also known by the acronym ARTS).

NFAA was founded in 1981 by the late Ted Arison, founder of Carnival Cruise Lines, and his wife Lin Arison, with a mission to identify emerging artists and assist them at critical junctures in their educational and professional development; and to raise the appreciation for, and support of, the arts in American society.

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[edit] ARTS disciplines

ARTS accepts registrations in nine disciplines:

[edit] Eligibility and requirements

ARTS is open to American students, American students living abroad, and non-American students who have residency status. Students in their graduating senior year of high school are eligible to register for ARTS in as many disciplines and sub categories as they choose. Students who are not attending high school must be 17 or 18 years of age on December 1 in order to be eligible for ARTS. High school juniors of any age are not eligible for ARTS until their senior year. Registrations are due by October 1 each year and audition/portfolio materials must be submitted by November 1. Students register for the program online at the NFAA ARTS website. Students, parents, and teachers can review the requirements in each NFAA ARTS discipline at the NFAA ARTS website: http://www.NFAA.ARTSawards.org

Students submit dvd’s, cd’s, digital portfolios, or writing samples depending upon their chosen discipline(s). The materials are judged by arts professionals and university educators in mid-November and award levels are announced on December 1.

Using a blind judging process and a standard-of-excellence based adjudication system, ARTS selects between 600-800 students for recognition and over $500,000 in cash awards each year. Colleges, universities, and conservatories offer an additional $3 million in scholarships to students who register for ARTS.

[edit] Awards

Students who rank in the Top 10% of the registrants receive a Merit Award of $100. In 2006, a total of 276 students received Merit Awards.

Students who rank in the Top 5% of the registrants receive an Honorable Mention Award of $250. In 2006, a total of 214 students received Honorable Mention Awards.

For the 2007 NFAA ARTS program, up to 135 students will be designated as National Finalists and will be invited to attend NFAA ARTS Week in Miami, Florida all expenses paid during the second week of January. NFAA ARTS Week provides the Finalists with a series of master classes, showcase performances, exhibitions, readings, interviews, interdisciplinary activities, enrichment programs, and final, live auditions which determine their award level. Each National Finalist is placed in one of six levels of excellence with a corresponding cash award:

  • Gold Award $10,000
  • Silver Award $5,000
  • Level I Award $3,000
  • Level II Award $1,500
  • Level III Award $1,000
  • Level IV Award $500

[edit] Presidential Scholars Program

Since 1982, NFAA ARTS has also been the exclusive nominating organization to the Presidential Scholars Program which is governed by the Commission on Presidential Scholars for the selection of Presidential Scholars in the Arts. Fifty (50) of the NFAA ARTS Week National Finalists are nominated to the Commission after ARTS Week. These nominees submit additional candidacy materials to the Presidential Scholars Program by mid-February. The Commission selects twenty (20) NFAA ARTS Finalists as the Presidential Scholars in the Arts.

The Arts Scholars join 121 Scholars chosen for academic excellence and receive an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, DC in June where they are honored by the President in the White House Medallion Ceremony. The Scholars in the performing arts are featured in the Salute to the Presidential Scholars at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. The works of the Scholars in the visual and literary arts are exhibited at the Corcoran Gallery of Art for the month of June.

[edit] Other programs and activities

NFAA also produces Body & Soul in New York City each spring. Body & Soul is an original musical theatre production featuring the NFAA ARTS Gold and Silver award winners in every discipline. In 2007, the Body & Soul event is being re-named Breakthrough.

NFAA publishes the youngARTS magazine three times each year and distributes it to high schools and teachers nationwide. youngARTS details the accomplishments of artists who have been honored by NFAA ARTS over the years and gives an inside look into the organization and its programs. All issues of youngARTS are available for viewing on the NFAA ARTS website.

NFAA also produces an annual Educators Conference during ARTS Week for high school teachers who want to enhance their skills at preparing their students for the college audition/interview process. The conference brings teachers together with admissions representatives of the nation’s leading arts schools for discussions and presentations.

[edit] Previous winners

In the past 25 years NFAA ARTS has honored more than 11,000 artists with $5 million in cash awards.

Notable NFAA ARTS award winners include:

[edit] Arison & Alumni Award

At its annual end-of-ARTS Week fundraising event, the An Affair of the Arts Performance and Gala, NFAA bestows the Arison Award on an individual who has a national reputation for helping young artists. The award carries a $10,000 donation to the recipient’s charity of choice. The Arison Award is named for NFAA’s founders Lin, and the late Ted Arison and has been presented to:

Quincy Jones (2001) Jacques d’Amboise (2002) Robert Guaspari (2003) Placido Domingo (2004) Mikhail Baryshnikov (2005) Michael Tilson Thomas (2006)

In 2006 as part of its 25th anniversary celebration, NFAA created an NFAA ARTS Alumni Award which is given to a former winner in recognition of significant contributions and professional success in her/his chosen art form. The award carries a $5,000 stipend to the charity of the recipient’s choice. The first Alumni Award was presented to Vanessa Williams at the 2006 An Affair of the Arts Performance and Gala.

[edit] Partnering Organizations

NFAA ARTS has partnerships with numerous affiliated organizations including the Educational Theatre Association and the International Thespian Society; Music Teachers National Association; the ACT-SO competition of the NAACP ; the Spotlight Awards of the Los Angeles Music Center; the National Forensic League and the National Speech and Debate Tournament; Young Playwrights, Inc.; and the Sphinx Competition among others.

NFAA also partners with several organizations to offer summer exclusive summer internship opportunities to ARTS award winners including the Sundance Theatre Lab and the Utah Shakespearean Festival.

[edit] Alumni Astral Grants

ARTS winners may also apply for the Alumni Astral Grants each year. The Astral Alumni Grants provide financial assistance for a specific project that will enhance an ARTS winner’s artistic and professional growth. NFAA awards two grants totaling up to $2500 each during the given grant period. Grants are NOT rewarded for living expenses, travel, or further studies. The 2007 Alumni Astral Grants will be offered exclusively to 2002 and 2003 NFAA ARTS Winners (including Honorable Mention and Merit Awards) for projects which will begin no later than September 1, 2007. Applications are due August 1, 2007 and details are available on NFAA’s website.

[edit] External links

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