The National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts Celebrates 25th Anniversary with Program Expansion; NFAA ARTS Program Introduces $5,000 Silver Awards to Mark Silver Anniversary.

MIAMI -- Record Number of Finalists to Be Selected for NFAA ARTS Week 2006; Former NFAA ARTS Winner Vanessa Williams to Receive First NFAA Alumni Award

High school students vying for prestigious arts awards from The National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts (NFAA) will find several exciting new additions to the program this year, including a 50-percent increase in awards money and 30 additional finalist positions for NFAA ARTS Week 2006, the organization announced today as it kicks off its 25th Anniversary.

As NFAA's annual core program, NFAA ARTS identifies and rewards exceptional student artists from across the U.S. in each of nine fields: dance, film and video, classical, pop and jazz music, photography, theater, visual arts, voice and writing. This year, NFAA will invite up to 160 artists to participate in NFAA ARTS Week, which will take place in January 2006 in Miami. NFAA ARTS Week, the national finals, is a once-in-a-lifetime experience consisting of performances, master classes, workshops, readings, exhibits and enrichment activities with renowned artists and arts educators.

"We are excited to mark our 25th year with the continued expansion of the NFAA ARTS program and a 50% increase in our cash awards, to a total of more than $500,000," said NFAA President Dr. William H. Banchs. "It is through the support of our passionate donors and sponsors that we're able to open up the program to even more of the nation's talented youth, in a perpetual effort to empower the arts for America's future."

With registration currently underway through Oct. 1, http://www.NFAA.ARTSawards.org, NFAA ARTS 2006 will offer talented emerging artists the chance to qualify for the following new program elements:

--Up to 160 artists will be invited to participate in NFAA ARTS Week, which takes place every January in Miami. Previously, 130 artists had the chance to qualify as finalists.

--First-ever $5,000 Silver Awards will be given. Judges may choose up to four deserving finalists in each of the nine NFAA ARTS disciplines - dance, film and video, classical, pop and jazz music, photography, theater, visual arts, voice and writing.

--Up to 15 deserving finalists may qualify for the coveted $10,000 Gold Award. In previous years only nine possible finalists qualified for the Gold Award level; this year it will increase up to six more students, with a limit of two Gold Awards per discipline.

--Level III, II and I Awards for NFAA ARTS Finalists, ranging from $1,000 to $3,000, will continue to be given.

--$250 Honorable Mention Awards will be given for those in the top 5% of the NFAA ARTS registrant pool but not selected as a finalist to attend NFAA ARTS Week. In the past these were $100 awards.

--$100 Merit Awards will be given for those in the top 10% of the registrant pool but not selected as a finalist to attend NFAA ARTS Week. Previously, no cash was awarded.

For those students who are selected to participate in NFAA ARTS Week, the organization pays all expenses, including airfare, hotel, meals and ground transportation.

NFAA ARTS Week 2006 will culminate in a spectacular Silver Anniversary celebration, as the organization dedicates its annual An Affair of the Arts Performance and Arts Gala to the foundation's extraordinary 25 years of success. The evening will honor actress/singer Vanessa Williams as recipient of NFAA's First Alumni Award sponsored by Gibson Guitars and Baldwin Piano, and internationally acclaimed New World Symphony Music Director Michael Tilson Thomas as recipient of the Sixth Annual 2006 Arison Award sponsored by PricewaterhouseCoopers. Both awardees will perform, as will the New World Symphony, in addition to celebrated performing artists Roy Hargrove, 1988 NFAA ARTS Winner in Jazz Trumpet; Jennifer Koh, 1994 NFAA ARTS Winner in Violin; Eric Owens, 1988 NFAA ARTS Winner in Voice; Alvin Ailey Principal Dancers Matthew Rushing and Linda Sims, 1991 and 1994 NFAA ARTS Winners in Dance; and New York City Ballet Principal Dancers Philip Neal and Pauline Golbin, 1986 and 1992 NFAA ARTS Winners.

Past Arison Award recipients Mikhail Baryshnikov, Placido Domingo, Quincy Jones and Jacques D'Amboise have all confirmed their attendance at the Gala, which will be held at Miami's Bayfront Park on January 14, 2006, at 6:00 p.m.

In addition to seminars and exclusive meetings with government branch representatives, the Arts Scholars have an opportunity to exhibit their work and to participate in public concert performances, including a rousing evening at The Kennedy Center, during recognition events in Washington, DC in late June.

Registration is underway at http://www.NFAA.ARTSawards.org for participation in NFAA ARTS 2006, which is open to high school students. Eligible artists must be high school seniors during the 2005-2006 school year, although students not in high school are eligible for NFAA ARTS if they will be 17 or 18 years old on December 1, 2005. The registration deadline is October 1, 2005 and the postmark deadline to submit audition/portfolio materials is Nov. 1, 2005.

For more information about NFAA ARTS call 1-800-970-ARTS (2787) or visit http://www.NFAA.ARTSawards.org.