This fall, multiple seniors from the Greenhill Honors Photography class have applied to the Young Arts Competition, a selective contest for emerging artists across the nation.  

The prestigious competition has many notable past winners, including Timothée Chalamet, Niki Minaj, Viola Davis and Amanda Gorman. 

Established in 1981, the competition for 15–18-year-old art students accepts up to 10 different types of art, including photography. Students creating pieces in any of the 10 eligible disciplines can submit their work to be evaluated by “esteemed discipline-specific panels,” according to the Young Arts website.  

At Greenhill, seven seniors submitted their work to the competition.  

“In 2008 or 2009, we first submitted to the competition,” Upper and Middle School Photography teacher Frank Lopez said. “Almost every single year we submit, and it’s one of the hardest competitions to get into.” 

Greenhill Submissions 

Lopez describes the submissions by seven of his seniors a great achievement.  

“It’s a high stakes competition, and I’m proud of [the students] for the effort it takes to submit,” Lopez said.  

Senior Austin Cohen said that he was made aware of the competition during his eighth-grade year at St. Mark’s School of Texas. 

“It was drilled into us that Young Arts was a major competition,” Cohen said. “Kind of the pinnacle for high school photography, and all juniors were required to submit.” 

Cohen said that several friends of his were finalists in the competition, and their admission into top universities pushed him to submit his work to Young Arts.  

Submissions for the photography discipline are comprised of 10 total images, either one unified portfolio or two with five unified photo series each. 

“You have to have a group of images that all work with each other to reveal a story,” Cohen said. 

 In addition, a written section is required where artists describe the intent behind their work in the portfolio and their connection to photography in general.  

“You have to explain the work in your portfolio,” Cohen said. “Why you made certain decisions, and the techniques used throughout the series of photos.” 

Once the applications have been submitted to the competition, there is a lengthy evaluation process.  

“At some point when you advance, they ask you for a ton of information about yourself, like how many service hours you have,” senior Chloe Nguyen said. “This is so they can get to know you as an individual more and who they’re giving the awards.” 

Prizes 

Every student submitting to the competition has hopes of winning. Students can win monetary prizes from $250 to the gold prize of $10,000 or be honored as a Presidential Scholar of the Arts.   

“One of my highest winning students won the gold prize, and we’ve gotten down to the final 60 students in the running for the Presidential Scholar of the Arts award,” Lopez said. 

Students in past years have won the silver prize of $5,000 or have been given honorable mention and merit awards, worth $500 and $100 respectively. 

“There are usually eight to 12 finalists out of around 1,500 people,” Cohen said. “It’s very selective.”

The final prize consists of a visit to Miami,, where finalists test their artistic abilities during National Young Arts Week. 

“The weeklong trip to Miami [is] where you get to showcase your art, meet other artists from around the nation, and do art,” Lopez said.  

According to the competition’s website, attending Young Arts Week in Miami is required to be considered for the Presidential Scholar of the Arts.  

“You win the $10,000, and you’re inducted into this community of artists you’re a part of for the rest of your life,” Cohen said. “And if you become a Presidential Scholar, they fly you out to the White House to meet the president.”  

Cohen says that becoming a finalist in the competition also gives students an edge in college admissions where they are likely to continue producing art. 

“It’s a great avenue for getting into top universities, and as an artist it kind of legitimizes you,” Cohen said. “It’s a great way to show your ability and the level you’re at.”   

While Lopez does encourage students like Cohen to submit to the competition, he wants them to focus on the process and understand that submitting to the contest is an achievement within itself.  

“It’s not about the prize, it’s about the journey,” Lopez said. “It’s about learning about your work and being prepared for the competition.”