WASHINGTON, DC - Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (D-MD) invites high school art students who reside in Maryland's 5th Congressional District, which includes Calvert, Charles and St. Mary's Counties, and parts of Prince George's and Anne Arundel Counties, to participate in two rewarding and worthwhile competitions: the 2005 Annual Congressional Arts Competition, and the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts (NFAA) Arts Recognition and Talent Search Program (ARTS).
"These two competitions offer our young people a unique opportunity to gain national recognition, and scholarship funding for their talented artwork," said Congressman Hoyer. "I strongly encourage high school students in the 5th District to submit entries into both of these rewarding competitions and to take advantage of the opportunities they offer."
Congressman Hoyer sent letters to all of the high schools in the 5th District announcing the Congressional Arts Competition and the NFAA ARTS programs earlier this month.
The Annual Congressional Arts Competition provides Members of Congress with the opportunity to showcase the artistic talent of high school students within their districts, thereby acknowledging our nation's gifted young artists.
All artwork must be delivered to one of Congressman Hoyer's district offices located in Waldorf or Greenbelt by May 13, 2005. Students interested in participating can call Congressman Hoyer's Waldorf District office at 301-843-1577.
After entries have been submitted by the required date, representatives from the local education and business community will review the artwork and determine which work of art and student will represent the 5th Congressional District on display in the Nation's Capitol. All other entries will be displayed in Congressman Hoyer's Waldorf District Office for one year. The judging is scheduled to take place during the week of May 10th.
ARTS recognizes and rewards the nation's top high-school artists in all art forms i.e., Dance, Film and Video, Jazz, Music, Photography, Theater, Visual Arts, Voice and Writing. Judging applicants from every state, ethnic and economic background, NFAA recognizes 600 to 800 winners with award certificates and cash scholarships ranging from $100 to $10,000. ARTS national winners then participate in an all-expense-paid final adjudication process known as ARTS Week. Held annually in Miami, ARTS Week is an intense multi-disciplinary experience for these national winners to broaden and deepen their artistic horizons. Finally, NFAA is the sole recommending arts organization to The Commission on Presidential Scholars, annually honoring 20 Presidential Scholars in the Arts alongside 121 Presidential Scholars.
NFAA's website, http://www.nfaa.org/, is an excellent resource where students can register for the ARTS and obtain more information as it relates to their specific discipline. Simply by registering, a students' name will be forwarded to NFAA's Scholarship List Service (SLS), where over 100 of our nation's best arts colleges, universities, conservatories and professional schools earmark up to $3 million in annual scholarships or internships to these young artists. Early registration ends June 1, 2005 and final registration closes October 1, 2005.