YoungArts: Sequoia Canada and Zinnia Moreno

YoungArts: Sequoia Canada and Zinnia Moreno by Aline SmithsonDecember 14, 2014

©Sequoia Canada, age 17

©Zinnia Moreno, age 18

I have been a longtime supporter and admirer of the wonderful Venice Arts organization, based in Venice, California. Now in its twenty-first year, Venice Arts is a nonprofit arts organization that is committed to providing high-impact arts education for low-income youth in the areas of photography, filmmaking, and multimedia.

It’s with excitement and pride that Venice Arts announces that the National YoungArts Foundation (YoungArts) has selected two of its advanced photography students—Sequoia Canada, age 17, and Zinnia Moreno, age 18—as 2015 YoungArts Winners. Out of more than 11,000 applications, 786 young artists from 46 states are being recognized for their outstanding work and accomplishments in one of ten disciplines across the literary, visual, design and performing arts. Sequoia and Zinnia are 2 of only 10 Finalists in Photography selected from across the nation.

This is not the first time that Venice Arts has produced insightful story tellers–the 2014 Spotlight Award and U.S. Presidential Award winner Angela Francis, featured on Lenscratch earlier this year, also won the gold medal in photography at Young Arts ($10,000 cash scholarship award) and Arthur Cooke won the silver medal ($6000 cash award) out of 14,000 applicants nationwide! They both applied to Young Arts through Venice Arts submitting portfolios of work created at VA.

Congratulations to the winners!