Unlocking Artistic Potential: A Comprehensive Guide to the YoungArts Foundation

The YoungArts Foundation stands as a beacon for young, aspiring artists across the United States. It identifies exceptional talent, nurtures their potential, and invests in their lifelong creative freedom. Through its prestigious YoungArts Competition, the foundation provides not only financial support but also a comprehensive network of resources and opportunities to help artists thrive at every stage of their development. This article delves into the requirements for the YoungArts Foundation scholarship and the numerous benefits it offers.

Eligibility and Application Requirements

The YoungArts Competition is open to artists in grades 10-12 or ages 15-18 as of December 1, 2025 (i.e., those who have a US social security number). To participate, eligible artists must apply through an online application. The 2026 YoungArts application is hosted on Kaleidoscope. The deadline for the 2026 application cycle is Tuesday, October 7, 2025 at 8 PM ET/5 PM PT. To better support applicants, the 2026 YoungArts application will close on Wednesday, October 8, 2025, at 8 PM ET.

The application process involves:

Basic Information: Providing contact and educational details.
Audition/Portfolio Submission: Each discipline and category has specific media submission requirements, encompassing ten disciplines across the visual, literary, and performing arts.
Application Fee: A $35 application fee is required for each application submitted.

Fee Waivers

Recognizing that financial constraints can be a barrier, YoungArts offers fee waivers to applicants who demonstrate need. To have the $35 application fee waived, a letter from a parent, guardian, teacher, counselor, or principal can be uploaded in the application. The letter should simply state “(Applicant’s name) is in need of waiving the $35 fee for their application” along with the name of who wrote the letter and relationship to the applicant.

Application Tips

Start Early: Materials are uploaded as part of the online application process. Even small files may take some time to upload, so avoid waiting until the last minute.
Save Your Progress: You can begin an application and return to it later to complete.
Anonymize Your Work: While not mandatory, it is recommended to edit out or remove your name from videos and/or artwork to ensure a fair adjudication process.
Follow Guidelines: Adhere to the specific guidelines for your chosen discipline and category. While YoungArts cannot comment on specific pieces, it's crucial to choose materials that showcase your strengths as an artist while meeting each of the requirements. Please note, if you do not follow the guidelines, you are doing so at your own risk.
Submit Your Best Work: Your submission is evaluated on its own merit in an adjudication process that includes multiple rounds of review. In each round, a national pool of artists review and evaluate materials within their respective specialties.
Previously Published Work: You may submit work that has been previously published or sent to other competitions. YoungArts does not require exclusivity of our applicant’s work and YoungArts does not own copyright of any submitted work.

YoungArts Awards and Recognition

YoungArts recognizes hundreds of the most promising artists with national awards each year. The YoungArts Competition winner will be announced: November 24, 2025.

Award Levels

YoungArts Award: This award recognizes work that demonstrates exceptional technique, a strong sense of artistry, and a depth of thinking/performance that exceeds the level of peers at this career stage.
YoungArts Award With Distinction: This higher-level award recognizes work that demonstrates exceptional technique, a strong, sophisticated, nuanced, and clear artistic point of view, and a depth of thinking/performance that far exceeds the level of peers at this career stage.

Benefits of Winning

Beyond the prestige of the award itself, winners gain access to a wealth of opportunities:

Cash Prizes: All YoungArts award winners receive cash prizes between $250 and $10,000.
National YoungArts Week: Winners with distinction are invited to participate in National YoungArts Week, a transformative experience featuring learning experiences with accomplished artists, networking with peers, and showcasing work through performances and exhibitions. If an award winner with distinction is unable to participate in National YoungArts Week, they will receive a monetary amount of $500.
YoungArts Lab: 2026 award winners at all levels are invited to participate in YoungArts Lab in Los Angeles, CA and New York City, NY. Dates are to be determined. Participants are chosen by lottery. Opportunities include skills-building workshops, masterclasses, residencies and professional opportunities designed to help advance artists’ careers and build their networks. YoungArts covers airfare, hotel for overnight programs, ground transportation within the program city, and meals for the program duration.
Artist Resource Collective (YoungARC): All 2026 competition winners and winners with distinction must complete the Artist Resource Collective financial literacy program for young artists (YoungARC) in order to receive their cash award. Classes are broken into 20-minute blocks, totaling 3.5 hours of instruction.
Presidential Scholars in the Arts: YoungArts serves as a nominating agency for the Presidential Scholars in the Arts, the nation’s highest honor for artistically talented high school seniors. Award winners who attend National YoungArts Week are considered for nomination by their respective discipline-specific panelists based on their artistic achievement and participation in the program. If you are chosen to participate in National YoungArts Week before you meet the grade level requirement for Presidential Scholar nomination, you will have the opportunity for consideration in the year you become a graduating high school senior. At that time, you will submit updated portfolio/audition materials and answer essay questions to be considered by the current year’s National Selection Panel during the adjudication process.
Networking: Joining a 20,000-strong network of past award winners, artists connect with peers who have attended many of the top universities and conservatories across the country and have become leading professionals in their fields.
Lifetime Support: All award winners are eligible for a lifetime of support. The YoungArts community is here to provide individual support for every past winner to reach their full potential in their artistic careers. To learn more, set-up a profile and/or visit YoungArts Post-a free, private, online platform designed for award winners to connect, share their work and discover new opportunities.

Financial Awards and Scholarships

In addition to the general cash prizes, YoungArts offers several prestigious scholarships and awards:

The YoungArts Lin Arison Excellence in Writing Award: This is a $50,000 scholarship given to a YoungArts award winner. Introduced in 2018, this scholarship is awarded annually to a Finalist in Writing who is currently a senior in high school. Awardees are selected based on merit by the Writing panel; and recipients may apply the financial award against the cost of tuition, room and board to attend an accredited school of their choice.
YoungArts Jorge M. Pérez Award: Since 2018, the YoungArts Jorge M. Pérez Award, funded by The Jorge M. Pérez Family Foundation, has been providing a YoungArts Visual Arts award winner who has succeeded in strengthening their community through artistic endeavors with a $25,000 unrestricted award.
The Ashley Longshore Excellence in the Arts Award: This is a $25,000 unrestricted award supported by artist Ashley Longshore that deepens and expands support for artists in the disciplines of photography, musical theater and visual arts. Presidential Scholar in the Arts), honoring the vibrant memory of Patrick B. Hale, an interdisciplinary artist in musical theater and visual arts. In the second and third years, the award will be granted respectively to a past YoungArts winner in Photography, in memory of photographer Alix Edmonson Martinez, and to a past YoungArts winner in Visual Arts.
The Gordon Parks Foundation Award: The Gordon Parks Foundation annually grants a $7,500 unrestricted cash award to one recent YoungArts award winner who represents the depth, breadth and integrity of Gordon Parks’ work. The winner is invited to the annual Gordon Parks Foundation awards ceremony and dinner in New York City. Recent recipients include J.

Additional Opportunities for YoungArts Alumni

YoungArts' commitment to its award winners extends far beyond the initial competition. The organization provides ongoing support and resources to help alumni thrive throughout their careers.

YoungArts Post: YoungArts Post is a free, private, online platform designed for award winners to connect, share their work, and discover new opportunities. Applicants aged 25 and over are invited to submit materials through open call on YoungArts Post. Selections are made by the Jorge M. Pérez Family Foundation.
Professional Development: YoungArts offers skills-building workshops, masterclasses, residencies, and professional opportunities designed to help advance artists’ careers and build their networks.

Accessibility and Support

YoungArts strives to ensure that all of its online spaces and in-person events are accessible. The organization is supported by the generosity of individuals, corporations, foundations, and city, county, state, and national entities. Donations to YoungArts are tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law and are determined by the value of the goods or services received.

Health and Safety

For in-person programs, YoungArts retains on-site nurses and mental healthcare professionals to address the wellbeing of all participants. Should a medical need require further care, nurses will accompany participants for doctor, urgent care, or hospital visits.

Understanding the YoungArts Mission

YoungArts is more than just a competition or scholarship provider. It is a national organization with office headquarters in Miami at the corner of Biscayne Boulevard and 21st Street, in the former Bacardi Tower and Museum buildings. It is a community, a resource, and a champion for young artists. The foundation funds the programs it operates to support award winners. YoungArts does not offer classes to the public. YoungArts programs are for current and past award winners and include classes with notable guest artists in their fields.

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