Recap: The 2017 Teeny Awards!
On Sunday, September 24th, teens, parents, artists, and arts leaders gathered at TeenTix Community Partner, Vera Project to celebrate the 10th annual Teeny Awards, hosted by TeenTix arts crush, Justin Huertas and members of The New Guard: Teen Arts Leadership Society.
The Teeny Awards are planned with support from The New Guard, TeenTix’s teen governing body, and celebrate the best in local arts and culture according to teenage art enthusiasts. Awardees are chosen by the New Guard based on votes by the TeenTix membership.
This year's awards were sprinkled with teen-approved art. Our lobby featured pieces from an exhibit entitled Beauty Impending curated by the Seattle Art Museum's Teen Art Group (Isabella Barnett, Adam D.C.B. Chen, Amina Dawud, Beth Girma, April Huang, and Mia Whitehorn), along with cupcakes, snacks, a red carpet photo station, swag toss (to win tons of arts partner swag - t-shirts, cups, lanyards, free tickets and more!!), and of course button making and a teen voting booth for Favorite Organization!!
DJ Atris kept the party going with his original set. Our friends at TeenTix Community Partner, Reel Grrls came to interview teens about their love of TeenTix - stay tuned for the clips they made!
The Awards Ceremony featured an original song written by Justin Huertas himself, an interactive skit by Jet City Improv, 2017 Youth Poet Laureate Lily Baumgart, and our guest of honor, Matt Bishop of Hey Marseilles.
One of the favorite moments was the presentation of the Youth Arts Advocate Award. Teens are nominated by their peers for this award, which aims to honor teens who advocate for arts in their schools, instigate arts outings, and inspire their peers to participate in the community. The nominees for Youth Arts Advocate of the Year were Winter Holmgreen, Eliza Jacobson, Sophie Larson, and Ana Walker.
Ana Walker took home the award, presented by Elisheba Johnson, Public Arts Program Manager at Seattle Office of Arts & Culture.
Ana's nominator says: "Ana is an amazing human. They work tirelessly to produce and teach poetry at youth speaks, and have been for some years now. Not only that, but they use poetry to fight for social justice, writing about anxiety and frustration being a teen in Seattle, and growing up as a black youth and use their poetry to speak up for the BLM movement. Ana's hard work and passion deserve this recognition.”
The Seattle Repertory Theatre took home the FAVORITE ORGANIZATION award, voted on live during the ceremony. Other winners were Abbey Arts for BEST MUSIC ORGANIZATION, and ArtsWest for BEST THEATRE ORGANIZATION, Moisture Festival won the THE TREAT YO’ SELF AWARD for the funnest way to not think about finals, and Emancipating the Past, Kara Walker’s Tales of Slavery and Power at Bellevue Arts Museum won the THE KINDLING AWARD for the work that most artfully illuminated a social issue or sparked civic dialogue. A full list of nominees and winners are listed below.
At the end of the Awards Ceremony, a flash mob broke out, led by artists from local dance company, Au Collective, leading guests from Vera Project to Chihuly Garden and Glass in a procession across Seattle Center Campus.
At the fundraising dinner following the awards in the Glasshouse at Chihuly Garden and Glass, supporters raised close to $40,000 for TeenTix and its mission to ensure equitable access to the arts for all teens. This year’s Teeny Awards centered around TeenTix’s 13th birthday, acknowledging how much we’ve accomplished since 2004, and celebrating how much room we have to grow. Teen members from The New Guard were invited to sit at each table for dinner to represent their fellow TeenTix members.
Four of the New Guard teens, Esmé DeCoster, Katherine Draves, Gabriel Wilson, and Wendy Zhen presented a poem that described their TeenTix stories, from being a teen who's family encouraged their arts exploration, to finding Seattle's arts community through the access TeenTix provides. #TeenArtHeaven
An excerpt from the poem:
"Growing up, I was fortunate that my parents took me to a lot of art. Growing up, I had every reason not to give a shit about art in Seattle...
After I got my pass, I started going to at least one art event a week. I met new people, learned about world issues, explored Seattle and found refuge from the stress of being a teenager...
I grew as an artist and slowly came out of my shell...most importantly, TeenTix made Seattle feel like home."
Another highlight of the dinner was Emma Lee Toyoda, a queer, non-binary singer-songwriter born in Seattle, and recent TeenTix member. Emma Lee's performance, combined with the poem, left many guests in tears.
The evening wrapped up with the entire group lighting candles and singing Happy Birthday to TeenTix. A wonderful moment that will be cherished forever in TeenTix history.
STAY TUNED FOR MORE PHOTOS!
TEENY AWARDS 2017 WINNERS & NOMINEES
ORGANIZATION AWARDS - Celebrating the region’s most teen-friendly arts organizations
1. FAVORITE ORGANIZATION
Voted on in real-time at the Teeny Awards ceremony. All TeenTix partner organizations nominated except reigning favorite organization, the 5th Avenue Theatre.
WINNER: The Seattle Repertory Theatre
2. BEST FRONT-OF-HOUSE EXPERIENCE
For the partner organization with the most welcoming and helpful box office staff, greeters, ushers, etc. All TeenTix partner organizations nominated.
WINNER: 5th Avenue Theatre
3. BEST THEATRE
18th and Union
5th Avenue Theatre
ACT Theatre
ArtsWest
Book-It Repertory Theatre
ComedySportz Seattle
Copious Love Productions
Edmonds Driftwood Players
Intiman Theatre
Jet City Improv
Mirror Stage
New Century Theatre Company
Pork Filled Productions
Renton Civic Theatre
Seattle Children’s Theatre
Seattle Musical Theatre
Seattle Public Theater
Seattle Repertory Theatre
Seattle Shakespeare Company
SiS Productions
Strawberry Theatre Workshop
Taproot Theatre
The 14/48 Projects
Unexpected Productions
UW Undergraduate Theater Society
UW School of Drama
Washington Ensemble Theatre
West of Lenin
Young Americans’ Theatre Company
WINNER: ArtsWest
4. BEST MUSEUM or GALLERY
Bellevue Arts Museum
Burke Museum
Henry Art Gallery
Museum of History and Industry (MOHAI)
Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP)
Northwest African American Museum
Pacific Science Center
Seattle Art Fair
Seattle Art Museum & Seattle Asian Art Museum
The Wing Luke Museum
WINNER: MoPoP
5. BEST DANCE ORGANIZATION
CHOP SHOP
Pacific Northwest Ballet
Spectrum Dance Theater
Whim W’him
WINNER: Whim W'him
6. BEST FILM ORGANIZATION
Grand Illusion Cinema
NFFTY: The National Film Festival for Talented Youth
Northwest Film Forum
Pacific Science Center’s IMAX & Laser Dome
Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF)
Three Dollar Bill Cinema
WINNER: Three Dollar Bill Cinema
7. BEST MUSIC ORGANIZATION
Abbey Arts
Early Music Seattle
Music of Remembrance
Pacific MusicWorks
Seattle Chamber Music Society
Seattle Men’s & Seattle Women’s Choruses
Seattle Opera
Seattle Symphony
WINNER: Abbey Arts
8. BEST CIVIC, CULTURAL, or LITERARY ORGANIZATION
Central District Forum for Arts & Ideas
Hugo House
Langston
Seattle Arts & Lectures
Seattle Center
Town Hall
WINNER: Seattle Center
9. BEST MULTI-DISCIPLINARY ORGANIZATION
Cornish College of the Arts
Edmonds Center for the Arts
Kirkland Performance Center
Meany Center for the Performing Arts
Moisture Festival
On the Boards
WINNER: Cornish College of the Arts
10. BEST YOUTH ENGAGEMENT PROGRAM
Drama School, Seattle Children’s Theatre
Teen Docent Program, Bellevue Arts Museum
Youth Programs, Seattle Public Theater
National Film Festival for Talented Youth
Reel Queer Youth, Three Dollar Bill Cinema
Youth Writers Cohort, Hugo House
Henry Teen Collective, Henry Art Gallery
Youth Curator Program, Northwest African American Museum
Teen Advisory Group, Seattle Art Museum
Youth Advisory Board, MoPOP
MOHAI Youth Advisors, Museum of History and Industry
WINNER: Youth Curator Program, Northwest African American Museum
EVENT AWARDS - Works must have been produced at a TeenTix partner organization between July 2016 and June 2017
11. THE EVOLUTION AWARD
For the work that best showcased the work of young artists or engaged topics related to youth
Emerge/Evolve 2016, Bellevue Arts Museum
Milk Like Sugar, ArtsWest
NFFTY: The National Film Festival for Talented Youth
Shostakovich Festival, Seattle Symphony
Young Playwrights Festival, ACT Theatre
Torrey Pines, Henry Art Gallery
DEFINITELY Past Curfew: A Festival of Youth-Written One Acts, Young American Theatre Company
WINNER: Young Playwrights Festival, ACT Theatre
12. THE KINDLING AWARD
For the work that most artfully illuminated a social issue or sparked civic dialogue
(Im)Pulse, Spectrum Dance Theater
An Elegant Utility, Northwest African Museum
Barbeque, Intiman Theatre
26 Miles produced by Latino Theatre Projects at West of Lenin
Every Five Minutes, Washington Ensemble Theatre
TEARDROPS THAT WOUND: THE ABSURDITY OF WAR, Wing Luke Museum
Born This Way, Seattle Men’s Chorus
Emancipating the Past, Kara Walker’s Tales of Slavery and Power, Bellevue Arts Museum
WINNER: Emancipating the Past, Kara Walker’s Tales of Slavery and Power, Bellevue Arts Museum
13. THE EVERYTHING OLD IS COOL AGAIN AWARD
For a classic work revitalized for a contemporary audience
Seeing Nature, Seattle Art Museum
The Magic Flute, Seattle Opera
Austen Translation, Jet City Improv
The Terracotta Warriors, Pacific Science Center
Summer Festival, Seattle Chamber Music Society
Little Women, Seattle Musical Theatre
Cherdonna’s Doll’s House, Washington Ensemble theatre
As You Like It, UW School of Drama
WINNER: Little Women, Seattle Musical Theatre
14. THE ?! AWARD
For an unexpected contemporary work
Welcome to Braggsville, Book- It Repertory
The Fog Machine Play, Copious Love Productions
Tesseract, On The Boards
CHOP SHOP: Bodies of Work, CHOP SHOP
Millennials, Central District Forum of Arts and Ideas
Lydia, Strawberry Theatre Workshop
Bright Half Life, New Century Theatre Company
Wellesley Girl, produced by The Horse in Motion at 18th and Union
WINNER: Millennials, Central District Forum of Arts and Ideas
15. THE KALEIDOSCOPE AWARD
For the most transporting work
Cathedrals XVII: Langhorne Slim & Sara Watkins, Haley Heynderickx, Abbey Arts
Here Lies Love, Seattle Repertory Theatre
Le Mozart Noir, Early Music Seattle
Mark Morris Dance Group, Meany Center for the Performing Arts
Ross Gay, Seattle Arts and Lectures
SIFF 2017
Bring Down the House, Seattle Shakespeare Company
WINNER: Here Lies Love, Seattle Repertory Theatre
16. THE TREAT YO’ SELF AWARD
For the funnest way to not think about finals
Disney’s the Little Mermaid, 5th Avenue Theatre
Moisture Festival
Into the Woods, Edmonds Driftwood Players
Pickwick, Kirkland Performance Center
Navidad, Pacific MusicWorks
Silver and Soul, Seattle Men’s Chorus
Big Fish, Taproot Theatre
Hip Hopera, Unexpected Productions
Peking Acrobats, Edmonds Center for the Arts
WINNER: Moisture Festival
17. THE BEST AESTHETICS AWARD
For great design
Testing, Testing 1-2-3, Burke Museum
By Design 2017, Northwest Film Forum
Sensation, Whim W’him
Yves Saint Laurent: The perfection of Style, SAM
The World of Wearable Art, MoPOP
TWIST, Three Dollar Bill Cinema
Caucasian Chalk Circles, Cornish College of the Arts
On Clover Road, Seattle Public Theatre
WINNER: ByDesign, Northwest Film Forum
18. THE YOUTH ARTS ADVOCATE AWARD
Given by TeenTix's New Guard: Teen Arts Leadership Society, the Youth Arts Advocate of the Year Award celebrates a teen who makes big contributions to our region's arts and cultural community through passion, advocacy, and leadership.
Winter Holmgreen
Eliza Jacobson
Sophie Larson
Ana Walker
WINNER: Ana Walker
Event photos by Bronwen Houck, Red Carpet photos by John Ulman
