Student Creative Artist Award
The City of Sonoma Cultural and Fine Arts Commission's Student Creative Artist Award Program began in 1988 as the Honorarium Program. It changed to the Steve Silver High School Honorarium in 1992, and became the Student Creative Arts Award Program in 2002. It is open to Sonoma Valley residents between the ages of sixteen and twenty-one who demonstrate unusual promise in the visual, literary or performing arts.
Applicants submit an application, a 200-500 word statement explaining the role that art has played in their life and what their plans are for continuing their artistic training, along with a portfolio of at least five works. All applicants are then asked to participate in an interview process with the commission members. The winner is awarded a $2,000 cash award to be used for the furtherance of their artistic abilities, education or career.
PAST WINNERS
YEAR
NAME
MEDIUM
SCHOOL
AWARD
2019
Adrienne "Adie" Valavanis
Animation
College for Creative Studies
$2,000
George Stewart
Film Production
SVHS
$975 (Merit Award)
Eden Llodra
Music - Cellist
San Domenico High School
$975 (Merit Award)
2018
Alexandra Garber
Cinematography
SVHS
$2,000
Lauren Smith
Photography
SVHS
$500 (Merit Award)
2017
Natalie Palmgren
Ballet
Rincon Valley Christian School
$2,000
Aaron Marcus-Willers
Music
SVHS
$500 (Merit Award)
Owen Summers
Animation, Music, Design
SVHS
$500 (Merit Award)
2016
Kaylin Riebli
Visual
SVHS
$2,000
Lucy Houghton
Visual
SVHS
$500 (Merit Award)
Anika Ljung
Performing
SVHS
$500 (Merit Award)
2015
Jeffrey Peterson
Music Composition
SV High, UOP
$2,000
2014
Maya Harris
Studio Art / Music
SVHS
$2,000
Siena Guerrazzi
Creative Writing
Justin-Siena
$500 (Merit Award)
2013
Maya Smoot
Theater Arts
SVHS
$2,000
2012
Esmeralda Chavez-Mata
Visual Arts
SVHS
$2,000
Barret Wilber
Musician (Piano)
SVHS
$500 (Merit Award)*
2011
Sarah Summers
Singer/Guitarist
SVHS
$2,000
2010
Michael Starr
Singer
Justin-Siena
$2,000
2009
Transition from May to December, no program
2008
Yvette Rico
Visual Arts
$2,000
2007
Christina Wright
Creative Writing
$1,000
Max Simonet
Performing Arts
$1,000
2006
Rebecca Evans
Creative Writing
$1,000
Andres Rico
Performing Arts
$1,000
Ashley Aguilar
Visual Arts
$1,000
2005
Travis Lyons
Creative Writing
$1,000
Corinne Stubbs
Performing Arts
$1,000
Julian Geoghegan
Visual Arts
$1,000
2004
Ariel Fintushel
Creative Writing
$500
Morgan Harrington
Performing Arts
$500
Ryan Jensen
Visual Arts
$500
2003
Michael Sullivan
$500
Kim Jones
$500
Sarah Shimizu
$500
2002
Emily Reading
Creative Writing
$500
Tara Zombres
Performing Arts
$500
Yesenia Salas Chavira
Visual Arts
$500
In 2002 funds from the Steve Silver Foundation ran out and the program became the Student Creative Arts Award and was funded by the City of Sonoma
2001
Antony Benedetti
Creative Writing
$500
Danielle Kardum
Performing Arts
$500
Drew Pickering
Visual Arts
$500
2000
Holly Chadwin
$500
Nika Erikson
$500
Jacob Steuter
$500
1999
Joe Chretien
Performing Arts
$500
Elizabeth Rawls
Performing Arts
$500
Christopher Lee
Visual Arts
$500
1998
Giovanni Benedetti
Creative Writing
$250
Mollie Martin
Performing Arts
$250
Nathaniel Aslasken
Visual Arts
$250
1997
No information available
1996
No information available
1995
Josh Gooch
Literary Arts
$250
Nick Donnelly
Performing Arts
$250
Maggie McKnight
Visual Arts
$250
1994
Leah Bonstead
Literary Arts
$250
Elizabeth Dilley
Literary Arts
$250
Ben Rawls
Performing Arts
$250
William Garcia
Performing Arts
$250
Aaron Drake
Performing Arts
$250
Caroline Hipkiss
Visual Arts
$250
JoAnn Wilcox
Visual Arts
$250
1993
Kathryn Ogaz
Literary Arts
$250
Rosalicia Barragan
Literary Arts
$250
Sam Riesberg
Performing Arts
$250
Rachael Lyerla
Performing Arts
$250
Gian Sadoti
Visual Arts
$250
Kelly Jordon
Visual Arts
$250
1992
Jeremy Russell
Literary Arts
$200
Coleen McGrane
Literary Arts
$200
Jenny Casciani
Visual Arts
$200
Ramon Robles
Visual Arts
$200
1991
Ion Meyn
Literary Arts
$200
Hosanna Broderick
Literary Arts
$200
Seth Kinmont
Visual Arts
$200
1990
Andy Mannie
Literary Arts
$200
Jackie Hipkiss
Visual Arts
$200
1989
Sabina Piersol
Literary Arts
$200
Fawn Scullion-Smith
Visual Arts
$200
1988
The program began in 1988 and was called the “Honorarium Program”, the minutes do not reflect the names of the award recipients. There were two $100 awards to graduating seniors, one for visual arts and one for literary arts
* Funds Raised by Sarah Summers
YEAR | NAME | MEDIUM | SCHOOL | AWARD |
2019 | Adrienne "Adie" Valavanis | Animation | College for Creative Studies | $2,000 |
George Stewart | Film Production | SVHS | $975 (Merit Award) | |
Eden Llodra | Music - Cellist | San Domenico High School | $975 (Merit Award) | |
2018 | Alexandra Garber | Cinematography | SVHS | $2,000 |
Lauren Smith | Photography | SVHS | $500 (Merit Award) | |
2017 | Natalie Palmgren | Ballet | Rincon Valley Christian School | $2,000 |
Aaron Marcus-Willers | Music | SVHS | $500 (Merit Award) | |
Owen Summers | Animation, Music, Design | SVHS | $500 (Merit Award) | |
2016 | Kaylin Riebli | Visual | SVHS | $2,000 |
Lucy Houghton | Visual | SVHS | $500 (Merit Award) | |
Anika Ljung | Performing | SVHS | $500 (Merit Award) | |
2015 | Jeffrey Peterson | Music Composition | SV High, UOP | $2,000 |
2014 | Maya Harris | Studio Art / Music | SVHS | $2,000 |
Siena Guerrazzi | Creative Writing | Justin-Siena | $500 (Merit Award) | |
2013 | Maya Smoot | Theater Arts | SVHS | $2,000 |
2012 | Esmeralda Chavez-Mata | Visual Arts | SVHS | $2,000 |
Barret Wilber | Musician (Piano) | SVHS | $500 (Merit Award)* | |
2011 | Sarah Summers | Singer/Guitarist | SVHS | $2,000 |
2010 | Michael Starr | Singer | Justin-Siena | $2,000 |
2009 | Transition from May to December, no program | |||
2008 | Yvette Rico | Visual Arts | $2,000 | |
2007 | Christina Wright | Creative Writing | $1,000 | |
Max Simonet | Performing Arts | $1,000 | ||
2006 | Rebecca Evans | Creative Writing | $1,000 | |
Andres Rico | Performing Arts | $1,000 | ||
Ashley Aguilar | Visual Arts | $1,000 | ||
2005 | Travis Lyons | Creative Writing | $1,000 | |
Corinne Stubbs | Performing Arts | $1,000 | ||
Julian Geoghegan | Visual Arts | $1,000 | ||
2004 | Ariel Fintushel | Creative Writing | $500 | |
Morgan Harrington | Performing Arts | $500 | ||
Ryan Jensen | Visual Arts | $500 | ||
2003 | Michael Sullivan | $500 | ||
Kim Jones | $500 | |||
Sarah Shimizu | $500 | |||
2002 | Emily Reading | Creative Writing | $500 | |
Tara Zombres | Performing Arts | $500 | ||
Yesenia Salas Chavira | Visual Arts | $500 | ||
In 2002 funds from the Steve Silver Foundation ran out and the program became the Student Creative Arts Award and was funded by the City of Sonoma | ||||
2001 | Antony Benedetti | Creative Writing | $500 | |
Danielle Kardum | Performing Arts | $500 | ||
Drew Pickering | Visual Arts | $500 | ||
2000 | Holly Chadwin | $500 | ||
Nika Erikson | $500 | |||
Jacob Steuter | $500 | |||
1999 | Joe Chretien | Performing Arts | $500 | |
Elizabeth Rawls | Performing Arts | $500 | ||
Christopher Lee | Visual Arts | $500 | ||
1998 | Giovanni Benedetti | Creative Writing | $250 | |
Mollie Martin | Performing Arts | $250 | ||
Nathaniel Aslasken | Visual Arts | $250 | ||
1997 | No information available | |||
1996 | No information available | |||
1995 | Josh Gooch | Literary Arts | $250 | |
Nick Donnelly | Performing Arts | $250 | ||
Maggie McKnight | Visual Arts | $250 | ||
1994 | Leah Bonstead | Literary Arts | $250 | |
Elizabeth Dilley | Literary Arts | $250 | ||
Ben Rawls | Performing Arts | $250 | ||
William Garcia | Performing Arts | $250 | ||
Aaron Drake | Performing Arts | $250 | ||
Caroline Hipkiss | Visual Arts | $250 | ||
JoAnn Wilcox | Visual Arts | $250 | ||
1993 | Kathryn Ogaz | Literary Arts | $250 | |
Rosalicia Barragan | Literary Arts | $250 | ||
Sam Riesberg | Performing Arts | $250 | ||
Rachael Lyerla | Performing Arts | $250 | ||
Gian Sadoti | Visual Arts | $250 | ||
Kelly Jordon | Visual Arts | $250 | ||
1992 | Jeremy Russell | Literary Arts | $200 | |
Coleen McGrane | Literary Arts | $200 | ||
Jenny Casciani | Visual Arts | $200 | ||
Ramon Robles | Visual Arts | $200 | ||
1991 | Ion Meyn | Literary Arts | $200 | |
Hosanna Broderick | Literary Arts | $200 | ||
Seth Kinmont | Visual Arts | $200 | ||
1990 | Andy Mannie | Literary Arts | $200 | |
Jackie Hipkiss | Visual Arts | $200 | ||
1989 | Sabina Piersol | Literary Arts | $200 | |
Fawn Scullion-Smith | Visual Arts | $200 | ||
1988
|
The program began in 1988 and was called the “Honorarium Program”, the minutes do not reflect the names of the award recipients. There were two $100 awards to graduating seniors, one for visual arts and one for literary arts
* Funds Raised by Sarah Summers |