Los Angeles, CA — March 10, 2006 — The Music Center of Los Angeles County has announced the 30 high school student artists in photography and two-dimensional design who have been named semi-finalists in the 2006 Music Center Spotlight Awards Visual Arts competitions. All semi-finalists will have their work shown at the Bobbie Greenfield Gallery in Bergamot Station in Santa Monica, where the winners will be announced at a special reception to be held on March 19.

More than 630 high school students submitted original artwork for this year's Spotlight Awards Visual Arts program. The submissions were reviewed by leading artists and arts professionals who considered the technical expertise involved in each work including its craft and visual quality and also analyzed how effectively the works expanded artistic boundaries and demonstrated artistic sensitivity and vision.

To select the top students, a panel of renowned artists and arts professionals, including Ruby Osorio, Ashley McLean Emenegger, Lauren Hartman, and Guy Dill will meet with each semi-finalist to review and discuss their work. For photography, Douglas Kirkland, Steven Williams, Tim B. Wride, Nan Oshin and Rebecca Morse will meet with the semifinalist. Every student in the program was invited to attend special tours of leading area museums. Students also attended master classes with nationally and internationally recognized artists in two-dimensional design and photography including Phung Huynh and Mark Edward Harris.

Winners are selected in both photography and two-dimensional design. First place in each category receives $6,000; second place receives $3,000; and five honorable mentions receive $250. All semi-finalists receive $100. In addition, winners will be presented with trophies during the Music Center Spotlight Awards at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion on April 29.

The Spotlight Awards program was established in 1988 and is one of the nation’s most acclaimed performing and visual arts educational programs for teens. Fred Roberts is founding chairman of the Spotlight Awards; Dennis Beck is chairman and Walter Grauman creator/executive producer. The Music Center Spotlight Awards program is a project of the Fraternity of Friends, a volunteer membership organization of men who support the Music Center.

About Ashley McLean Emenegger:
Ashley McLean Emenegger has juried and curated scores of fine art and video exhibitions throughout Los Angeles. Her exhibitions have been reviewed in the Los Angeles Times, LA Weekly, the LA Business Journal, and Artweek. She also serves as curator and art advisor to numerous nonprofit groups and charity events. As the former Executive Director of Gallery 825/LAAA, a nonprofit supporting emerging Southern Californian artists, she presented hundreds of critically recognized exhibitions and programs. She founded McLean Fine Art in September 2004.

Contact:
Ashley McLean Emenegger, McLean Fine Art
626.798.3136
ashley@mcleanfineart.com