2006 U.S. Presidential Scholars
in the Literary and Visual Arts

June 3, 2006–June 25, 2006

2006 Presidential Scholars in the Arts Literary and Visual Arts Exhibition
at the Corcoran Gallery of Art
On View from June 3rd to June 25th, 2006

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Corcoran Gallery of Art, in partnership with the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts (NFAA), will present the work of the seven Presidential Scholars in the Arts winners in the Film and Video, Visual Arts and Writing categories. This exhibition will be on view at the Corcoran Gallery of Art from June 3 through June 25, 2006.

Presidential Scholars is a national recognition program honoring the nation’s most distinguished graduating high school seniors. Each year, NFAA nominates up to 50 NFAA ARTS winners for consideration by the Commission on Presidential Scholars; 20 students are eventually selected to receive the Presidential Scholars in the Arts designation. These students are recognized for their accomplishments in a variety of areas: the arts, academics, leadership, and community involvement.

The arts honorees, recommended exclusively through participation in NFAA’s ARTS program, will join 121 other Presidential Scholars during National Recognition Week, June 23-27, in Washington, D.C., for a reception honoring the winners and their families at the Corcoran on June 25th.

Christina De Paul, Dean of the Corcoran College of Art and Design, commented that “the program’s winners are extraordinary examples of innovation and creativity. This partnership with NFAA is an excellent way for the College to help support and promote the work of the nation’s most distinguished youth working in the arts today.”

There will be seven student winners on exhibit at the Corcoran:

Steven Wilson, Santa Ynez Valley High School, Solvang, CA
Winner in film and video

Rachel Goss, High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, Houston, TX
Winner in visual arts

Jason Sanford, Saint Mark’s School of Texas, Dallas, TX
Winner in visual arts

Eloise Santa Maria, High School for the Visual and Performing Arts, Houston, TX
Winner in visual arts

Sarah Campbell, Alabama School of Fine Arts, Birmingham, AL
Winner in writing

Tassity Johnson, High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, Houston, TX
Winner in writing

Rachel Mans, Greensburg Central Catholic High School, Greensburg, PA
Winner in writing

The three visual arts scholars will each have three pieces on display. The three writers will showcase two to three framed excerpts of their works and the film winner will feature two videos on a monitor in the gallery.

ABOUT NFAA
Dedicated to empowering the arts for America’s future, the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts (NFAA) is a non-profit organization founded in 1981 by businessman and visionary Ted Arison. NFAA’s mission is to identify emerging artists and assist them at critical junctures with their educational and professional development; and to raise the appreciation for, and support of, the arts in American society. For more information about NFAA, visit the website www.NFAA.ARTSawards.org.

ABOUT THE CORCORAN GALLERY OF ART
The Corcoran Gallery of Art was founded in 1869 as Washington’s first museum of art. It is a privately funded institution incorporating both a museum and college of art and design. As one of America’s oldest art institutions, the Corcoran is known internationally for its distinguished collection of historical and modern American art, as well as European painting, sculpture, photography and decorative arts.

Founded in 1890, the Corcoran College of Art + Design is Washington’s only college of art and design. The college currently offers four-year Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degree programs; two-year Associate of Fine Arts (AFA) degree programs; Master of Arts (MA) degree programs in Interior Design and History of Decorative Arts, and a Continuing Education program encompassing more than 300 courses and 14 certificate programs for part-time adult students, as well as year-round classes designed especially for children and teens.

The Corcoran Gallery of Art is located at New York Avenue and 17th Street, NW, Washington, D.C. and is open Wednesdays – Sundays from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. and until 9 p.m. on Thursdays. The museum is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, but open on holiday Mondays. Admission to the Corcoran is: $8.00 for adults; $6.00 for senior citizens and U.S. military personnel; $4 for students with current ID and $3 for Member guests. Admission is always free for Members and children under 12. Admission is “pay as you wish” on Thursdays after 5 p.m. For information about the museum, call 202.639.1700. For information about the college, call 202.639.1800.

:: View images and further details from this exhibition

CONTACT:
Kristin Guiter
Manager of Media Relations
(202) 639-1867,
kguiter@corcoran.org

Media Resources:

Advance Exhibition Schedule

Archived Press Releases