Saratoga News

Education

Olympiad of arts winners honored at awards

By Michele Tjin

The Olympiad of the Arts competition that began in February culminates this month with an awards ceremony and a look at the body of work of the winning students.

Student artists will be recognized at a ceremony on May 6, 2 p.m., at the West Valley College Theater. Organizers received more than 600 entries from high school and lower-division college students and will award more than $9,000 in prizes. Students entered work in the categories of drama, piano, vocals, dance, visual art and photography, video and digital media, and creative writing.

The award ceremony will include performances by the winners, a slide show of the honored art and photography and a booklet of the winning creative writing entries.

Organizers of the 79-year-old arts competition say the experience encourages students to pursue their artistic interests as a profession. Past winners have gone on to make a film selected to be shown at the Cinequest Film Festival, make an operatic debut at Carnegie Hall and have a first reading of a one-act play at the Magic Theatre in San Francisco.

The West Valley College Theater is at 14000 Fruitvale Ave. To see a video of past winners, visit www.olympiadofthearts.org.