The National Youngarts Foundation is a talent-based scholarship program which honors and awards high school and college students for their prowess in the performing, visual and literary arts. The program is considered by many to be the most prestigious arts competition for young adults; it is also the exclusive nominating organization for the U.S. Presidential Scholars of the Arts.

 

 

I was commissioned to design 10 images to represent the different disciplines that Youngarts grants awards to annually. These designs were used for their promotional advertisements, merchandize and a number of other things. For these designs, I photographed Youngarts alumni from different years, and set them to each represent a different discipline. A vital part of Youngarts is its interconnected alumni network, and to celebrate that, I worked only with YA alums on this project. After photographing the alumni’s silhouettes with objects to clarify their discipline, I distorted some of my abstract paintings and overlaid those over the silhouettes. The painted silhouettes of alumni take on this faceless character feeling, which is what I wanted to represent all of alumni, and young artists in general. But these are individuals as well, and I’ve specified who each person is in the image description. If you want to be completely blown away with the work of some very talented artists, musicians, writers, actors and dancers, follow the links under most of the silhouettes and see what that alumni is capable of. I guarantee they will surpass all expectations. 

So far, Youngarts has used the designs on Billboards in Miami, Los Angeles, Dallas, Chicago and Boston. Additionally, I Collaborated on a mural for the Youngarts National Headquarters on Biscayne Blvd and 22nd Street in Miami. Working with HOXXOH, we took these silhouetted alumni and painted them up onto the white building on Youngarts's campus. HOXXOH's painting, and my designs.

 

If you are interested in purchasing any merchandise or limited edition prints of these works, and supporting the National Youngarts Foundation, as all funds raised from selling the merchandise goes to Youngarts and is directly put to use benefiting the most talented young adults in the country, please check out their online store here. There's everything from T-shirts to Skate Boards! Give it a look and #KeepArtsAlive