The ASAP (Alliance Summer Arts Program) Awards are now in full swing, and we’re delighted to report that more than 80 students will attend 38 summer art and writing intensives in 15 different states. Across the country, from Maine to the Pacific, these talented 13- to 17-year-olds will be delving into disciplines from Performance Art to Playwriting; from Darkroom Photography to Sustainable Interior Design.

“We debuted our Teen Summer Art Program this summer for talented youth just like this ASAP Award recipient,” said Riverside Art Museum Executive Director Drew Oberjuerge. “With one in six jobs in Southern California now in the creative industries, it is essential that youth receive arts education classes so that they can reach their full potential. We are excited to see what [he] accomplishes.”

More than 200 students applied for ASAP Awards this year, completing in-depth applications and offering portfolios that included not just their Gold Key-winning work and proof of financial need, but a selection of other work of which they are proud. Here in New York, a panel of professional artists and writers evaluated the applications and determined the best of the best. Then we reached out to our ASAP partner programs and this select group earned full scholarships to attend an array of top local and residential arts programs, camps, and precollege programs.

Our 2012 ASAP Partners include:

• Abovoagogo Art Center, Ithaca, NY
• Anton Art Center, Mt. Clemens, MI
• Belin Blank Center National Scholars Institute, Iowa City, IA
• Buck’s Rock Creative and Performing Arts Camp, New Milford, CT
• California College of Art Precollege Art & Writing, Oakland, CA
• College of Creative Studies Precollege and Jr. Precollege, Detroit, MI
• Columbus College of Art & Design College Preview, Columbus, OH
• Cranbrook Academy Summer Precollege, Bloomfield Hills, MI
• Herron Honors Art Precollege, Indianapolis, IN
• International Center of Photography Teen Academy, New York, NY
• International Center of Photography at the Point, Bronx, NY
• Interlochen Summer Arts Program, Interlochen, MI
• Juniper Institute for Young Writers, Amherst, MA
• Kenyon Review Young Writers Institute, Gambier, OH
• Maine Media Workshops, Rockport, ME
• Massachusetts College of Art Summer Studios, Boston, MA
• Maryland Institute College of Art, Baltimore, MD
• Morean Center for Clay, St. Petersburg, FL
• Otis College of Art & Design Summer of Art, Los Angeles, CA
• Parsons Pre-College Summer Intensives, New York, NY
• Pacific Northwest College of Art, Portland, OR
• Pratt Institute Precollege Program, Brooklyn, NY
• Reynolds Program for Young Writer at Denison University, Granville, OH
• Riverside Art Museum Teen Program, Riverside, CA
• Rocky Mountain College of Art & Design Summer Program, Denver, CO
• School of the Art Institute of Chicago Precollege, Chicago, IL
• San Francisco Art Institute Precollege, San Francisco, CA
• School of the Museum of Fine Arts Precollege, Boston, MA
• School of Visual Arts Precollege, New York, NY
• Urban Institute for Contemporary Arts, Grand Rapids, MI
• University of Iowa Young Writers Workshop, Iowa City, IA
• Explorations at Wellesley College, Wellesley, MA
• Camp Woodward Digital Media Program, Woodward, PA
• Writopia Lab, New York, NY

What do our students hope to achieve this summer? In their own words:

“I hope to gain the confidence I need to become the writer I know I can be.” —Brittany, 16, about Kenyon Review Young Writers Workshop

“I love art and I have tried many different types of art. But I want to try EVERYTHING, and this summer program is giving me the opportunity to explore all mediums.” —Haley, 17, about San Francisco Art Institute Precollege

“I’d also like to see how the teachers communicate with their students, as I am a developing future art teacher.”—Zehui, 14, about Explorations at Wellesley College

In addition to these generous scholarships, funded by the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation and our ASAP Partners, one of the Alliance’s sponsors Dick Blick Art Materials kindly donated 15 $100 gift certificates to selected ASAP Awardees. Kate, 16, who will be attending Maryland Institute College of Art Precollege, emailed us immediately and joyfully: “I want to thank Dick Blick and Scholastic for this opportunity. I was so surprised, and am very very excited to visit the website to find new materials. Thank you again for this gift! 🙂

If you’re as curious about what these students will create as we are, check back with us. We’ll be reporting throughout the summer on their progress—in words and pictures!