Out of 85 nominees, the following 16 students have been selected as semifinalists for the 2024 Artist of the Year in media arts. The students were chosen by a panel of teachers based on written statements and art portfolios.
In submitting their work, students identified their strongest specialty within the discipline and the judges use that specialty to help focus their evaluations.
Students are also placed into divisions based on the number of years they have been studying media arts. Students with a combination of three years of media art training in middle school, high school and private training are placed into Division 1. Students with less than three years of combined training are placed into Division 2. A minimum of two Division 2 students are guaranteed to be invited to be semifinalists.
During the final round of adjudication, students are interviewed by a panel of distinguished artistic professionals and faculty members from Southern California universities. Interviews include a live presentation by the students followed by a question-and answer-session.
Up to five top students may be chosen in each discipline — four finalists plus the Artist of the Year.
The finalists and Artists of the Year will be announced next Sunday, April 28.
On Wednesday, May 8, an awards ceremony will be held at Memorial Hall on the campus of Chapman University which is free and open to the public. This event will include performances and presentations by the top students.
This program is generously sponsored by the Chapman University College of Performing Arts. Additional support is provided by Chapman University’s Dodge College of Film and Media Arts and the UC Irvine Claire Trevor School of the Arts.
If you would like to become a sponsor for the Artist of the Year program, contact Heide Janssen at ocartistoftheyear@aoy.scng.com.
Nathan Alexander Ayala
Senior, Villa Park High School
Division 2
Strongest specialty: Photography
“My work in photography has also elevated my work ethic for other parts of my life. Photography is an artform like most that takes lots of work and dedication in order to create great art. I have had to spend countless hours editing photos that are just meh. I practice a lot and in the few short months that I have been involved in photography I have probably taken thousands and edited hundreds of photographs. This amount of time and effort has transferred into other parts of my life like schoolwork and my extracurricular activities.”
Yu-Ru Chen
Junior, Beckman High School
Division 1
Strongest specialty: Graphic design
“My unique skill set and experiences in the visual arts has also led to meaningful involvement in various communities. Through sharing my design work that targets sustainability with my class, I was approached by those who also value nature. In fact, I am planning to join their school club after connecting with a classmate on this topic. In addition, I have been able to obtain leadership positions in community service clubs thanks to my skills in graphic design.”
Tyler DeAngelis
Senior, Valencia High School
Division 2
Strongest specialty: Photography
“I have been asking myself what it means to be an artist. Anyone can take a photo, but being a photographer involves not only technical skill and an eye for composition, but also an understanding of the potential impact and meaning behind each captured moment. I can capture not only the visual aspects of the world but also the emotions and nuances that define the human experience. Being an artist is about inviting others to see the world through the artist’s eyes and, in doing so, promoting a connection.”
Ava Diaz
Senior, Orange County School of the Arts
Division 1
Strongest specialty: Digital illustration
“The grief around my mother’s cancer, the struggles of being a mixed individual, and even the panic attacks are all of things that I can express through my art to not only help myself heal, but to help others as well. There are countless stories out there that have yet to be told, and I want to speak up about them. If I have inspired or changed even one person’s life to make them feel a little less alone in this universe, then it would have all been worth it in the end.”
Jasmine Diep
Junior, Orange County School of the Arts
Division 1
Strongest specialty: Digital painting
“Art to me is to make the colors look as interesting and fun as possible. With my art, the centerpiece of most of it are the colors, and I love using the digital medium to explore the possibilities of mood with the almost infinite range of colors it gives you. When sketching I normally start with colors. There are many ways to drive a mood into your piece or impact the viewer, but I think colors do it the best.”
Kailey Grandes
Junior, Beckman High School
Division 1
Strongest specialty: Photography
“It’s been a little over a decade since I first started swimming, but I believe this is a significant inspiration for my photography. The way the water flows, splashes, and envelops me when I swim invokes so many different emotions within me. With photography, I try to simulate these same feelings of peacefulness and beauty in shots of our world. Perhaps it’s those accompanying feelings of weightlessness and emptiness produced from the reflection of my memories in the water and childhood.”
Yiqi (Bill) Guo
Senior, Beckman High School
Division 1
Strongest specialty: Graphic design
“To me, being an artist means having an unquenchable thirst for improvement, a willingness to pursue greatness, and a passion for self-expression. We take pleasure in delving into intricate theories regarding the world we live in. We innovate, question conventions, and evoke emotions and meaning through unique mediums. We express ourselves from the heart, into the mind, and then into reality for everyone to see.”
Andrew Hsieh
Senior, Fountain Valley High School
Division 1
Strongest specialty: Photography
“Snapping a photo of Mom with Dad’s DSLR camera for the first time, I was amazed. What surprised me wasn’t just the photo’s beauty, but how it showed me things I hadn’t noticed before. The crease on Mom’s cheek when she smiled, a few strands of gray hair (sorry, Mom!), and a freckle on her nose. I gained a photographic eye, and every day I notice new things: my friend Beth’s new glasses, my neighbor’s freshly washed car, my shoes’ brown tinge from stepping in mud. Just as I found a new perspective through photography, this idea — of every discipline being a lens (pun intended) to notice and appreciate more of the world — has given me an artistic perspective across seemingly unartistic intellectual fields.”
Sarah F. Hu
Senior, Beckman High School
Division 1
Strongest specialty: Graphic design
“Art is not simple, but my one joy of art is creating, making, and being there through the ugly until the very end. Seeing when people understand and see how I intended for them to interpret my art is really rewarding, but what truly is rewarding is that I was the one to make it with my own hands.”
Audrey Kawasaki
Junior, Huntington Beach Academy for the Performing Arts
Division 1
Strongest specialty: Animation
“I strive to create art that captivates and entertains while also having an ultimate purpose and profound message. I aspire to persistently create art that fulfills these goals throughout my artistic journey. In the future, I hope to continue to create meaningful and entertaining works that resonate with my personal values.”
Ashley Kikuta
Senior, Beckman High School
Division 1
Strongest specialty: Photography
“To me, artists are brave; they’re unafraid of trying something new or being criticized. Some artists want their work to challenge norms, while others reinforce beauty standards. They welcome appraisal and are prepared for disapproval. They’re people who find significance in anything and see art in everything. They simply love what they do and don’t expect recognition for their work.”
Mila Kupenova
Junior, Valencia High School
Division 2
Strongest specialty: Photography
“Photographs are super powerful. They can remind people of old memories, bring around new feelings, and show something they have never seen before. It makes me feel so accomplished when I take a good photo and show others and they are in awe. Photography is truly such an impactful subject, anyone can see a photo and interpret it differently based on their experiences, and that is truly beautiful.”
Grace Lin
Senior, Beckman High School
Division 1
Strongest specialty: Game art
“It’s almost hard to qualify the idea of being an artist, fitting the sense of the matter into a few words when it seems like there’s no way to put the feeling down on paper. For the longest time, it’s just been this lasting presence in my life, sitting and settling itself inside my whole being. An inescapable, ever present aspect of who I was; it was always Grace the artsy one, or Grace the one with doodles on her paper, or Grace who always tried too hard when it came to art assignments. But what did it all mean? It meant endless power at my fingertips. It means infinite opportunities to create, to control and to imagine.”
Hector Lopez
Senior, Anaheim High School
Division 2
Strongest specialty: Photography
“Photography is about capturing moments and emotions in a way that speaks to people visually. As a photographer, I don’t look for pretty photos, I focus on capturing a moment and emotion in my photos. I have been inspired by filmmaker John Wilson whose HBO series ‘How to with John Wilson’ explores New York City and tries to find answers to everyday questions. Along the way he encounters unique people and situations that go unnoticed in our everyday lives”
Avni Patel
Senior, Beckman High School
Division 2
Strongest Specialty: Game art
“Being an artist means that I have the ability to convey messages that cannot be delivered in words. The ability to connect to souls instead of brains. The ability to inspire. The ability to inform. It is a precious thing, as art gives me the power to enhance the present moment and inspire awe in all that witness it. Being an artist means to be brave, courageous, educated, emotional, and most importantly, it means to be truthful.”
Angie Wang
Junior, Orange County School of the Arts
Division 1
Strongest specialty: Digital painting
“The work I would love to do in the future is creating a cartoon show, specifically directing or producing a show. As a child, cartoons gave me joy and developed my imagination, and it’s an essential part of building creativity. This fuels aspiring artists to create, becoming painters, songwriters, dancers and so much more.”
