Charlotte Hagen, a senior at Mariemont High School, has recently been named a merit winner in the 2023 YoungArts National Competition. The annual competition is one of the only organizations in the United States that supports artists across 10 disciplines at all stages of development, beginning with the critical moment when they decide to pursue a life in the arts, and continuing throughout their careers.

 

Artists ages 15-18, or grades 10-12, are encouraged to apply in the discipline of their choice (classical music, dance, design arts, film, jazz, photography, theater, visual arts, voice and writing.) All applications are judged by esteemed discipline-specific panels of artists through a rigorous blind adjudication process.

 

Winners are offered in three levels: merit, honorable mention and finalist. All winners receive a wide range of cash prizes and are offered a lifetime of artistic support and ongoing connection with an extraordinarily robust network of peers and mentors.

 

Hagen was awarded a merit distinction for her short story in the creative writing discipline. She was one of only 700 nationwide to receive the award, out of the over 7,000 applications.