The Heisman Award Ceremony For Arts Journalism
For Immediate Release – March 22, 2011
February 22, 2011 – Journalists and the public are invited to celebrate the awarding of the inaugural winner of the DC Student Arts Journalism Challenge March 22nd, 2011 at Yola in Dupont Circle. Open to undergraduates in all DC area colleges and universities, Bourgeon’s DC Student Arts Journalism Competition was created to identify and encourage talented young arts journalists.
Washington Post visual arts critic Michael O’Sullivan states, “At a time when the future of arts journalism—indeed, the future of journalism itself—is at stake, Bourgeon’s Student Arts Journalism Challenge offers encouragement to the next generation of arts journalists, along with a reminder that the arts, and those who write about them, still matter.” The Bourgeon editorial Board has selected the five finalists from over twenty entries, and a jury of professional critics including Post critics Michael O’Sullivan and Anne Midgette will select the winner. The first year of the contest, which closed on Feburary 15th, 2011, will culminate in the awards ceremony. All five finalists will be at the event, and the winner will be notified live during the presentation of the award.
The awards ceremony is being hosted by Yola, a fresh (not frozen) yogurt parfait and espresso bar located in the heart of Dupont Circle. Yola is run by father/daughter team David and Laura Smith. Laura, who is herself a Bourgeon contributor stated, “I am thrilled to have the opportunity to host the awards ceremony at Yola. I had always envisioned Yola as a gathering place for the arts, and I can’t think of anything better to gather around than celebrating young talent in arts journalism…. In the modern publishing environment quality journalism and arts writing can often be obscured by flashy headlines, and there is no better time than now to celebrate young talent.”
Founded in 2005, Bourgeon’s mission, through an online publication and community initiatives, is twofold: to increase participation in the arts and to improve access to the arts. Bourgeon is a project of the non-profit Day Eight. To see more about Day Eight please visit www.dayeight.org. Visit the Bourgeon magazine site at www.bourgeononline.com.
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To download a pdf of this release, click here.