The Tampa Bay Business Committee for the Arts awarded six Tampa high school students the Charlie Hounchell Art Stars Scholarship in an award ceremony on May 11.
The scholarship covers six categories and has one winner in each. The categories are theater, literary arts, dance, instrumental music, vocal music and visual arts. Applicants must submit an application along with either a video, images, documents or audio files. From there, a judge from every category reviews the application and makes a decision. After all the recipients are chosen, they are awarded $2,500. This year, six were chosen. Read about them below.
Courteney McClutchy is the winner for the theater category of the Charlie Hounchell Art Stars Scholarship. Here she sings at the CHASS awards ceremony.
Tampa Bay Business for Culture and the Arts
Courteney McClutchy: McClutchy won for theater. A senior at East Lake High School, McClutchy has been involved in her school's performing arts academy since her freshman year. She has starred in lead roles such as Peter in Peter Pan, Millie Dillmount in Thoroughly Modern Millie, and Paulette Bonafonte in Legally Blonde. She hopes to continue her studies at Point Park University for a BFA in musical theater.
Lyrik Courtney won for the literary arts category of the Charlie Hounchell Art Stars Scholarship. Here she reads one of her work at the CHASS awards ceremony.
Tampa Bay Business for Culture and the Arts
Lyrik Courtney: Courtney won for literary arts. A junior at Howard W. Blake School for the Performing Arts, Courtney studies creative writing while taking dual enrollment classes at Hillsborough Community College. She has received many Scholastic Art and Writing Gold and Silver Key awards for her poetry. She hopes to one day be an editor for a boutique press.
Lillian Kraack won for the vocal music category of the Charlie Hounchell Art Stars Scholarship. Here she sings at the CHASS awards ceremony.
Tampa Bay Business for Culture and the Arts
Lillian Kraack: Kraack won for vocal music. A senior at Joe E. Newsome High School, Kraack has trained since the age of six. At the Florida Vocal Association State Solo and Ensemble Festival in 2015 and 2016, Kraack received a superior with honors rating. Based on her talent, she was accepted to the Oklahoma City University.
Sabrina Downing is the winner for the dance category of the Charlie Hounchell Art Stars Scholarship. Here she dances at the CHASS awards ceremony.
Tampa Bay Business for Culture and the Arts
Sabrina Downing: Downing won for dance. A senior at Howard W. Blake High School, Downing has danced for 15 years and trains at America's Ballet School. She trains at Joffrey Ballet School in New York City and in Sarasota Ballet during the summer. She trains in ballet, modern and contemporary dance. She hopes to go to the University of South Florida to pursue a BFA in dance.
Jason Charos won for the instrumental music category of the Charlie Hounchell Art Stars Scholarship. Here he plays his trumpet at the CHASS awards ceremony.
Tampa Bay Business for Culture and the Arts
Jason Charos: Charos won for instrumental music. A junior at the Pinellas County Center for the Arts at Gibbs High School, Charos began playing jazz trumpet at the age of five. He started with Sonny LaRosa's America's Youngest Jazz Band. Along with the group, Charos performed at the Los Angeles Institute of Jazz Big Band Festival, the Sweet and Hot Jazz Festival, and the Suncoast Jazz Classic.
Aidan Schaffert won for the visual arts category of the Charlie Hounchell Art Stars Scholarship. Here he presents his art at the CHASS awards ceremony.
Tampa Bay Business of Culture and the Arts
Aidan Schaffert: Schaffert won for visual arts. A junior at the Pinellas County Center for the Arts at Gibbs High School, Schaffert has exhibited work in 16 shows and received 21 awards. His awards include the Congressional Choice award at the Tampa Museum of Art to represent Florida's 14th Congressional District and a National Silver Medal from the 2016 Scholastic Art and Writing Awards.
