DeRoche Joins 757 Outstanding Teenage Artists from 47 States Across the Nation and will Receive Cash Awards, Mentorship and Professional Development Opportunities
Shorewood High School junior Meghan DeRoche has been named a 2018 National YoungArts Foundation (YoungArts) Merit winner in Theater. Selected from the most competitive pool of applicants to date, DeRoche has been recognized for her outstanding artistic achievements and joins 757 of the nation's most promising young artists from 47 states across the literary, visual, design and performing arts. Winners receive cash awards of up to $10,000, opportunities to participate in YoungArts programs nationwide and engage with renowned mentors, and guidance in taking important steps toward achieving their artistic goals. A complete list of the 2018 winners, all 15–18 years old or in grades 10–12, is available online at youngarts.org/winners.
"YoungArts congratulates all of the 2018 winners. This extraordinary group of young artists represents the vibrancy of our culture for years to come and we look forward to supporting and encouraging them at key junctures in their careers," stated Carolina García Jayaram, YoungArts President and CEO. "I applaud all of our extraordinary panelists in making this year's selection, one of the most competitive in YoungArts' history."
DeRoche will participate in YoungArts' regional program, YoungArts New York (April 24–29, 2018), and will join a professional network of distinguished artists.
Throughout the year, DeRoche will be offered opportunities to share her work with the public at renowned institutions such as the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (Washington, D.C.), The Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York), Sotheby's (New York) and New World Center (Miami); and access to mentors including Academy Award-winning director, producer, editor, writer and cinematographer Doug Blush; award-winning photographer Corinne May Botz; three-time New York Dance and Performance Awardee Nora Chipaumire; award-winning visual artistTeresita Fernández; Grammy-award winning vocalist and songwriter Lisa Fischer; best-selling authors Michael Grunwald and Kristen Simmons; acclaimed violinist Corin Lee; award-winning journalist, author, and provocative cultural critic Joan Morgan; American stage and television actress Karen Olivo; critically acclaimed pianist Elizabeth Joy Roe; multi-Grammy nominated artist Patrice Rushen; and nine-time Grammy winner and a 17-time Grammy nominee Janis Siegelamong others.
Selected through a blind adjudication process conducted by an independent panel of highly accomplished artists, the 2018 winners represent the top 10 percent of applications. Of this year's 757 winners, some have been awarded for excellence in multiple disciplines at various levels. Altogether, 781 awards have been attributed: 171 have been named Finalists, the organization's highest honor; 270 are Honorable Mentions and 340 are Merit winners.
Alumni Programming
DeRoche will join a growing alumni network of more than 20,000 artists and will receive access to additional professional and artistic development, and presentation opportunities. Alumni programs include the new Up Next career development symposia in Los Angeles and New York, exhibitions curated by renowned artists such as Derrick Adams, and interdisciplinary residency programs in Miami.
YoungArts' expansive alumni network of leading professionals includes visual artists Doug Aitken (1986 Winner in Visual Arts) and Daniel Arsham (1999 Winner in Visual Arts); musicians Conrad Tao (2011 Winner in Music & U.S. Presidential Scholar in the Arts) and Jennifer Koh (1994 Winner in Music & U.S. Presidential Scholar in the Arts); filmmaker Doug Blush (1984 Winner in Cinematic Arts); recording artists Josh Groban (1999 Winner in Theater) and Chris Young (2003 Winner in Voice & U.S. Presidential Scholar in the Arts); writers Sam Lipsyte (1986 Winner in Writing & U.S. Presidential Scholar in the Arts) and Tarell A. McCraney (1999 YoungArts Winner in Theater); actors Viola Davis (1983 Winner in Theater), Andrew Rannells (1997 Winner in Theater) and Kerry Washington (1994 Winner in Theater); renowned choreographer Desmond Richardson (1986 Winner in Modern Dance & U.S. Presidential Scholar in the Arts); and 2015 So You Think You Can Dance winner Gaby Diaz (2014 Winner in Dance).
Support
Support for YoungArts National YoungArts Week and YoungArts regional programs is provided by the National Premier Partner Carnival Foundation, the YoungArts Week Performance Partner SunTrust, the Design Arts Discipline Partner Arquitectonica, the Visual Arts Discipline Partner Related Group, and the YoungArts Regional Partner Northern Trust. Additional support for National YoungArts Week is provided by the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs, the Cultural Affairs Council, the Mayor and Board of County Commissioners, the Miami-Dade Tourist Development Council, and The Children's Trust; the City of Miami Beach, Cultural Affairs Program, Cultural Arts Council; and the Florida Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs and the Florida Council on Arts and Culture.
About the National YoungArts Foundation
The National YoungArts Foundation (YoungArts) was established in 1981 by Lin and Ted Arison to identify and nurture the most accomplished young artists in the visual, literary, design and performing arts, and assist them at critical junctures in their educational and professional development. Through a wide range of annual programs, regular performances, and partnerships with some of the nation's leading cultural institutions, YoungArts aspires to create a strong community of alumni and a platform for a lifetime of encouragement, opportunity and support.
For more information, visit youngarts.org, facebook.com/YoungArtsFoundation or twitter.com/YoungArts. To watch a brief video about YoungArts, click here.