Local Students Included In 2018 Class of Texas Young Masters

AUSTIN, TX — Texas Commission on the Arts (TCA) and the Texas Cultural Trust (TCT) are proud to announce the 2018 class of Texas Young Masters and three of those students are from the Houston area.

Those Houston area students include:

• Lauren Mathews, 9th Grade, Katy, Seven Lakes High School
• Isha Parupudi, 11th Grade, Friendswood, Clear Springs High School
• Lauren Yang, 11th Grade, Sugar Land, Dulles High School

Those students are among other talented Texas students throughout the state tapped by the TCA and the Texas Cultural Trust that recognizes 8th through 11th grade students who demonstrate artistic excellence in dance, theater, film, music, media, and literary and visual arts.

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The program awards 15 students with $10,000 multi-year scholarships to enhance and build their professional artistic study and provide access to opportunities they otherwise might not have before college.

The Trust celebrates a new class of Young Masters every biennium with an awards presentation to highlight their drive, talent, and creativity.

More than 300 students from across the state applied this year, but only the state’s most talented young artists receive the title of “Young Master.”

The 2018 Young Masters class of 15 students is the ninth class of Young Masters to be recognized. Since the program’s inception in 2002, the TCT and TCA have provided 328 grants to 154 Young Masters, awarding nearly $933,000 total to aspiring artists across the state.

“The Texas Young Masters grant program was created as a way to recognize and support young students pursuing the dream of becoming the next generation of prominent Texas artists,” said TCA Executive Director Gary Gibbs. “These gifted artists earned the Young Masters title because of their outstanding artistic ability, talent, and dedication to developing their knowledge in their chosen discipline. We congratulate them on their accomplishments.”

The 2018 Class of Young Masters include:

• LaurenAntonio Ajero, 8th Grade, Nacogdoches, Mike Moses Middle School, Music/Piano
• Noah Avelar, 11th Grade, Corpus Christi, Veterans Memorial High School, Music/Percussion
• Tobi Berman, 11th Grade, Fort Worth, North Crowley High School, Musical Theater
• Riley Canterbury, 9th Grade, Dallas, Booker T. Washington HSPVA, Dance
• Joziah German, 9th Grade, Dallas, Booker T. Washington HSPVA, Dance
• Elizabeth Heyns, 11th Grade, Lantana, Guyer High School, Visual Arts/Special Effects Makeup
• Mikayla Johnson, 11th Grade, Floresville, Edgewood Fine Arts Academy, Theater
• Megan Lin, 11th Grade, Plano, Liberty High School, Music/Violin
• Aisha Mpiana, 11th Grade, Dallas, Booker T. Washington HSPVA, Visual Arts
• Ava Noble, 11th Grade, Dallas, Booker T. Washington HSPVA, Dance
• Ian Stripling Jenson, 11th Grade, Austin, McCallum Fine Arts Academy, Music/Violin
• Leif Tilton, 9th Grade, Austin, James Bowie High School, Music/Classical Guitar

The Trust will recognize the 2018 class of Young Masters during an awards ceremony and concert on April 16th at Austin’s ZACH Theatre.

First Lady Cecilia Abbott serves as honorary chair for the event and Ashley Covert, Gerardo Interiano, Maya Smart, and Natasa Valocchi are event chairs.

The evening will feature Texas Young Masters alumni, Conspirare, Dallas Black Dance Theatre, Cruz Ortiz, and an original composition by Allen Robertson.

For more information on the event, and to purchase tickets, please visit https://txculturaltrust.org/young-masters.

Image: Shutterstock

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