13 Contra Costa County Students

Recognized as "California Arts Scholars"

Thirteen  students from throughout Contra Costa County were honored on May 19 as gifted and talented artists who have been recognized as "California Arts Scholars" by the state's InnerSpark program. Many of the students will participate in an intensive pre-professional training program at the California State Summer School for the Arts which will be held at the campus of the California Institute of the Arts in Valencia.

AC5 sponsored a public recognition ceremony for the students at the May 19th meeting of the County's Board of Supervisors.

The 2009 Contra Costa County students are:

David Beal, Orinda, Miramonte High, Film/Video

Christianne Burns, Walnut Creek, Acalanes High, Music-Vocal & Theater

Reegan Diel, Concord, Pleasant Hill High, Animation

Christopher Homburger, Alamo, De La Salle High, Theater & Visual Arts

Caety Klingman, Orinda, Miramonte High, Creative Writing

Kimberly Anne Lao, Pinole, Salesian High, Creative Writing

Lisa Lin, San Ramon, Dougherty Valley High, Creative Writing

Aaron Long, Danville, Monte Vista High, Music - Instrumental

Jason Long, Lafayette, Acalanes High, Theater

Zoe Loza, Walnut Creek, Northgate High, Film/Video

Ruthie Shapiro, Moraga, Campolindo High, Visual Arts

Madeline Sharafian, Lafayette, Acalanes High, Animation

Anna Warnken-Brill, Walnut Creek, Northgate High, Theater

 ABOUT INNERSPARK

In 1985, the California State Summer School for the Arts (InnerSpark) was created to enable artistically gifted and talented students, broadly representative of the socioeconomic and ethnic diversity of the state, to receive intensive training in the arts through a multidisciplinary program.

Each year, InnerSpark conducts the California Arts Search to identify the most talented high school-aged visual, literary, media, and performing artists in California.  The teenagers selected are designated California Arts Scholars, and attend one of the country's premier summer arts institutes on the campus of the California Institute of the Arts in Valencia.

AC5 honors and recognizes those Contra Costa County students chosen to attend CSSA by arranging a public ceremony and reception in the chambers of the Board of Supervisors.