A chance for high school artists to bask in “Spotlight” [updated]

Calling all teen artists: this just might be your time to shine.

For 23 years, the Music Center’s Spotlight Awards have given high school students in the seven-county Southern California region a chance to hone their audition and performing skills and showcase their visual arts portfolios, receive a professional evaluation from a panel of judges, and compete for up to $5,000 in individual arts scholarships.

Interested students can apply in one or more of the following categories:

• Classical and non-classical voice
• Classical and jazz instrumental
• Ballet and non-classical dance
• Photography and two-dimensional art

All students receive an initial audition and evaluation, and proceed through rounds of additional competition, training and guidance to a final selection of winners, who will be feted and given the chance to perform or display their work at a special spring awards dinner banquet at the Music Center’s Dorothy Chandler Pavilion.

Students may submit applications on-line or by mail, but don’t delay – this year’s deadlines are October 1, 2010 for performing arts, and December 1, 2010 for visual arts. There’s no entry fee, and full details from how to apply to the calendar of events may be found here.

Posted 9/22/10

Updated 9/30/10: The Music Center has extended the deadline for applicants in performing arts categories. Those applications must be submitted online or postmarked by Friday, October 8. The visual arts application deadline remains the same: Wednesday, December 1.