The seventh annual Mayor’s Arts Awards debuted its Young Artist Award Thursday as it honored and celebrated the arts community by recognizing local artists and performers for being leaders in art.
The new award was catered to rising artists and performers ages 12 to 17.
“We’re here to really celebrate artists in Phoenix,” said Thelda Williams, interim mayor for the city. “When I look around Phoenix I see everything—I see kids involved in art, I see adults, I see dancers, I see plays, theatre, symphonies and gorgeous artwork everywhere and it is what it takes to make a great city.”
The arts ceremony had seven categories: dance, visual arts, literary arts, music, theater, young artists and innovative organizations.
Judges evaluated nominees based on impact, innovation and integration. Finalists were then selected by a panel of judges that included past award winners and representatives from the mayor’s office, the Phoenix Office of Arts and Culture and Phoenix Center for the Arts.
Before the ceremony, guest performers were invited to demonstrate some of their contributions to the community. Scotty Spenner, a 2009 inductee to the Arizona Blues Hall of Fame, played his take on pre-war blues with his electric guitar, and dancers from the Flamenco Por La Vida dance company performed.
Lauren Henschen, deputy director for the Phoenix Center for the Arts said the Young Artist Award is “long overdue” and adding, “There’s a lot of community groups that are realizing that we’re making decisions about what’s best for the youth and involving youth in the conversation.”
Thameenah Muhammad, winner of the new award, was one of seven nominated finalists in the category. Muhammad helped create original plays in her community and showcased her theatre performances in parks and on the light rail.
Muhammad said she has been part of theater since she was in second grade, but due to the lack of funding for the arts in charter schools, it prevented her from performing in school. She said Rising Youth Theatre, an organization that creates original plays starring younger people, is what helped her rebuild her love for it.
“Young people are the most ignored and yet the most controlled group in our society,” said Ashley Hare, one of the judges from the Phoenix Office of Arts and Culture.
“We’re not the leaders of tomorrow,” Muhammad said, “we’re leading right now.”
For questions, contact the reporter at ahmirand@asu.edu
