Two McCook artists among Nebraska Young Artist winners

LINCOLN, Nebraska -- The Hixson-Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln announced the winners of the 17th annual Nebraska Young Artist awards, with two from McCook, Nebraska

The awards recognize 11th-grade students from Nebraska who are gifted and talented in the areas of visual art, dance, music, theatre, and film and new media. These students exemplify the pinnacles of creativity in one of the fine and performing arts.

Students selected from McCook are Rebekah Huff, visual art and Anna Kennedy, dance.

Sixty-four students from more than 35 high schools across the state have been selected to participate in the special day of activities on April 9 at UNL.

Students applied for the recognition and submitted an example of their work. Applications were received from 188 students across the state. Hixson-Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts faculty chose the 64 students who will come to campus to be recognized.

Honored students will take tours of the arts facilities, attend classes, and meet faculty and college students. Their parents will also be invited, and they will also take tours, as well as receive information on careers in the arts and college curriculum.

Students selected to participate in the Nebraska Young Artist Awards will also be asked to nominate the teacher who provided them with the greatest amount of mentoring and support in the development of their special talents.

The day will conclude with an awards ceremony in the Sheldon Museum of Art's auditorium at 3 p.m. Students will receive a certificate, as well as an original piece of artwork commissioned for this event and created by a UNL Department of Art and Art History printmaking student.