New Annual Unrestricted $25,000 Award to Support One Artist a Year
Working in Musical Theater, Photography or Visual Arts
Miami, FL (March 24, 2022) – YoungArts announces the creation of a new annual unrestricted $25,000 award furthering its mission of providing support to artists at all stages of their careers. The Ashley Longshore Excellence in the Arts Award, made possible by the generous support of artist Ashley Longshore, will deepen and expand support for artists in the disciplines of photography, musical theater and visual arts. In addition to the cash award, artists will have the opportunity to benefit from further mentorship, continuing education that can influence the trajectory of their careers.
In its inaugural year, the award will be granted to a past YoungArts winner in Theater (Musical Theater) and will honor the vibrant memory of Patrick B. Hale, an interdisciplinary artist in musical theater and visual arts. In the second and third years, the award will be granted respectively to a past YoungArts winner in Photography, in memory of photographer Alix Edmonson Martinez, and to a past YoungArts winner in Visual Arts. To be considered for the award, all candidates must be 25 years or older and exemplify the traits of artistic rigor, excellence, a love of their craft, and demonstrate an active interest in furthering the arts in their community.
“I am thrilled that, with this award, I am able to have a significant impact on the creative journey of the next generation of artists,” said Ashley Longshore. “I am honored to create this award in the memory of my dear friends, Patrick B. Hale and Alix Edmondson Martinez, who were both exceptional artists deeply involved in their communities. I hope that the recipients of this award will bring their spirit and creative excellence to all that they do.”
“YoungArts is grateful to Ashley Longshore for her generosity and dedication to acknowledging and supporting artistic achievement,” said Lauren Snelling, YoungArts Artistic Director. “It is through the commitment of philanthropists like Ashley that YoungArts is able to achieve its mission of providing support to YoungArts award winners throughout their careers.”
Eligible YoungArts award winners are invited to apply through YoungArts Post, a free, private, online platform for YoungArts award winners to connect, share their work and discover new opportunities. Recipients will be selected by discipline-specific panels of artists.
