After months of whittling down a list of more than 500 nominees, the Orange County Register is proud to announce this year’s Artists of the Year.
They are: Irene Kim, dance; Caitlyn Phu, film/animation; Eilyssa Maclean, vocal music; Dianne Seo, instrumental music; Hannah Hart Franklin, theater; Z. Perkins, 2D visual arts; and Josh Henslick, 3D visual arts.
They are the next-generation’s Meryl Streep, a non-binary game artist, a flutist with unusual deftness and a potter who inscribes his faith into every piece he throws. There is a filmmaker exploring cultural identity through her movies, a dancer for whom movement is her way forward through life and a singer who conjures her late father’s love in every sad note.
The Register, in partnership with the Orange County Department of Education, has sought out and recognized talented arts students from around the county for the past six years.
To find the top students, artists and teachers are asked to look without and within to consider their work and how it represents their inner artist. Invariably it takes the students and often judges and teachers to remarkable places and deep explorations on self and society.
A girl examines her eating disorder and what comes out are compelling pieces of art. Another looks into the faces of homeless people and creates gripping images. Teenagers grappling with sexual and cultural identities dive into art to express themselves. A dancer’s movements, a musician’s notes, an artist’s brush strokes become emblematic of something much deeper.
“This year, I was particularly struck by the level of vulnerability that our top artists showcased,” said Heide Janssen, who has overseen the program since its inception in 2014. “These students were unafraid to expose themselves — their struggles and their triumphs — when creating and presenting their work.”
In addition to their art, the students told often touching personal stories and how they were using their art to give back and provide pathways for future artists who will come behind them.
This year, 507 students were nominated by teachers and private instructors from 88 Orange County high schools and arts organizations in theater, dance, film, vocal music, instrumental music, 2D visual arts and 3D visual arts. Once nominated, the students submitted applications with videos of performances, samples of artwork and answers to questions about their work as artists.
Within each discipline, students were nominated in specific specialties. For example, hand drawing and painting, computer drawing and painting, graphic design, photography, or 2D mixed media were within 2D Visual Arts.
Semifinalists were interviewed and gave presentations to panels of arts professionals and faculty members from Southern California universities and high schools who specialize in each discipline.
“These kids are great. I’m blown away,” said Andrew Shallat, a Chapman University professor and judge in 2D visual arts. And that was before the actual judging had begun and based only on the online applications he had seen.
“Every year, the panels of professional judges are astonished by the talent being cultivated in the arts in Orange County and this year was no exception,” Janssen said. “Often, I am told that many of our top high school students are working at a level equal to or greater than that of the students studying art in our local universities.”
Additional support for Artist of the Year is generously provided by Laguna College of Art and Design, Segerstrom Center for the Arts, Chapman University, and Orange County Music and Dance.
Special thanks to Mission Viejo High School, Mary Massey, Rachel Umana, all of the professional artists and arts educators who generously donated their time as judges, and all of the arts teachers who nominated their students to be considered for this honor this year.
THE 2019 ARTISTS OF THE YEAR
2D VISUAL ARTS: Z. Perkins, Orange County School of the Arts
3D VISUAL ARTS: Josh Henslick, Trabuco Hills High School
DANCE: Irene Kim, Crean Lutheran High School
THEATER: Hannah Hart Franklin, Orange County School of the Arts
FILM/ANIMATION: Caitlyn Phu, Huntington Beach Academy for the Performing Arts
INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC: Dianne Seo, Orange County School of the Arts
VOCAL MUSIC: Eilyssa Maclean, nominated by private instructor Kathleen Martin