Senior Nominated as Presidential Scholar

A handful of Marksmen received high honors from the National YoungArts Competition, one of the most prestigious fine arts competitions for high school students. After several rounds of judging, Tomek Marczewski ’22 was nominated to be named a 2022 Presidential Scholar in the Arts, one of only 56 nominees nationwide. In addition, Tomek and Evan Lai ’22 were chosen as YoungArts finalists in the categories of Design Arts and Photography, respectively. Owen Simon ’22 and Paul Valois ’22 received honorable Mentions in Photography, and Ekansh Tambe ’22 and Owen Simon earned Merit Winner recognitions in Photography.

 

“I pretty much sprinted over to Mr. Lin’s office to tell him the good news, checking the text over and over again to believe that it was really happening,” said Tomek after being notified about his award.

 

As Finalists, Evan and Tomek attended the virtual National YoungArts Week earlier in January. This intensive program allows student artists to collaborate with peers across ten disciplines and develop their craft with internationally recognized leaders in their fields. Throughout the week, the Finalists’ work was further adjudicated to determine additional award levels, including financial awards of up to $10,000 and an opportunity to be nominated for the Presidential Scholar in the Arts Program.

 

“Our class never fails to be collaborative, critically constructive, and funny. Because of my brothers and my mentor, I am here today,” said Evan.

YoungArts’ signature program is an application-based award for emerging student artists from across the United States. Selected through a blind adjudication process conducted by an independent panel of highly accomplished artists, YoungArts winners receive valuable support, including financial awards, professional development, and educational experiences working with renowned mentors, as well as performance and exhibition opportunities at some of the nation’s leading cultural institutions.

 

“Regardless of what you decide to do in life, the visual arts train your eye to recognize beauty, understand relationships, and draw inspiration from your interactions with the world,” said Harrison Lin ’14, Interim Artist in Residence. “Having an artist's or designer's perspective makes life profoundly interesting by granting you access to the rich deliberation and history behind the subtext of our built environment.”

The National YoungArts Foundation was established in 1981 to identify and support the next generation of artists and to contribute to the cultural vitality of the nation. Over the past decade, 21 Marksmen have been named YoungArts Finalists. Kyle Smith ’19 and Ryan McCord ’20 went on to become Presidential Scholars in the Arts after being named a YoungArts Finalist in the photography category.