PR: TeenTix Honors Teeny Awards Winners and Connects Teens Through Art & Activism
MEDIA CONTACT:
Seth McDonald
Marketing Manager, TeenTix
seth@teentix.org | 206.499.9173
TeenTix Honors Teeny Awards Winners and Connects Teens Through Art & Activism
A weekend of celebration and learning concludes an unprecedented, innovative year of art
Immediate Release—November 30, 2020—TeenTix Like so many organizations, TeenTix pivoted to the virtual event space this year, extending its beloved Teeny Awards ceremony for a weekend of connection, celebration, and exploration. This year's event theme revolved around Art as Activism, elevating and celebrating the ways in which young people use their voice to advocate for change and social justice, and how art can be used as a vehicle for activism.
The 2020 (VIRTUAL) Teeny Awards Ceremony: On Saturday, November 21, teens, parents, artists, and arts leaders tuned in for a YouTube viewing of the The 2020 (Virtual) Teeny Awards to celebrate the resilience and creativity of TeenTix’s 70+ Arts Partners from all corners of the region. This event marked TeenTix’s Sweet 16th Birthday and the 13th annual Teeny Awards Ceremony. Although the audience couldn’t gather in the same space together, the excitement was palpable as attendees exclaimed and cheered in the comments section throughout the evening. Co-hosted by David Rue and Randy Ford, the dancer duo also known as Dandy, the ceremony featured musical performances from local playwright and theater superstar, Sara Porkalob, as well as teen folk artist, Mirabai Kukathas. Teens continued to take the spotlight with a reading from 2020 Youth Poet Laureate cohort member, Helena Goos, and a presentation by young artists of color from the Summer Mentorship Program in partnership with The Colorization Collective. TeenTix’s New Guard youth advisory council presented a steady stream of unique, Sweet 16-inspired awards: squishy fake cupcakes with a toy car, candle, and teen-made tag affixed to the top.
One of the most anticipated moments during the ceremony was the presentation of the Youth Arts Advocate Award. Teens are nominated by their peers for this award, which aims to honor young people who advocate for the arts in their schools, instigate arts outings, and inspire their peers to participate in the community. This year, Sebastian Mendoza was named the 2020 Youth Arts Advocate. Mendoza is a regular volunteer at KEXP who contributed over 440 hours of his time to the local radio station. On top of his commitment to KEXP, during his senior year, Mendoza was independently booking shows and creating music opportunities at his high school. All the while, he was working at the Redmond Old Firehouse booking local youth shows as a member of their youth board.
Rain City Rock Camp was named TeenTix’s Community Partner of the Year. Their mission is to empower girls, women, and gender non-conforming individuals to engage their creative potential through music, champion equity, and thrive in a community of allies and activists. Some members from Rain City Rock Camp’s ‘Amplified Teen Voices’ program shared what “Art as Activism” means to them in a video here. Other winners this year were Seattle Men’s and Women’s Choruses (Best Music Organization),, 14:48:HS won Best Youth Engagement Program, and Indecent at Seattle Rep took home the Kindling Award for the work that most artfully illuminated a social issue or sparked civic dialogue. A full list of nominees and winners are included at the end of this release.
The 2020 Teeny Awards Community Day: The celebrations continued Sunday, November 22, with the inaugural, teen-only Community Day. The day started with a workshop focused on music as anti-racist rebellion led by KEXP’s Martin Douglas. The afternoon included a panel discussion with several prominent, local artist/activists including: poet and educator, Naa Akua; King Youngblood front runner and advocate Cameron Lavi-Jones; dancer, writer, and community activist Gabrielle Kazuko Nomura Gainor; and multi-disciplinary artist and Indigenous lifeways educator, Dakota Camacho.
TEENY AWARDS 2020 WINNERS
TEENS RUN THE WORLD AWARD—for the work that best showcased the work of young artists or engaged topics related to youth:
Mr. Burns, a Post-Electric Play, Young Americans’ Theatre Company
KINDLING AWARD—for the work that most artfully illuminated a social issue or sparked civic dialogue
Indecent, Seattle Rep
OUT OF THIS WORLD AWARD—for the most transporting work
Dance Nation, Washington Ensemble Theatre
BEST AESTHETICS AWARD—for great design
Bliss, The 5th Avenue Theatre
BEST YOUTH ENGAGEMENT PROGRAM AWARD
14:48:HS
THE YOUTH ARTS ADVOCATE OF THE YEAR AWARD Sebastian Mendoza
THE 2020 QUARANTEENY AWARD—the Best Virtual Experience as voted on by TeenTix members
Horse Girls, Young Americans’ Theatre Company
ORGANIZATION AWARDS—celebrating the region’s most teen-friendly arts organizations
BEST THEATRE
Seattle Rep
BEST MUSEUM OR GALLERY
Henry Art Gallery
BEST DANCE ORGANIZATION
CHOP SHOP Dance Organization
BEST IMPROV ORGANIZATION
Jet City Improv
BEST FILM ORGANIZATION
SIFF Cinema
BEST MUSIC ORGANIZATION
Seattle Men’s and Women’s Choruses
BEST CIVIC, CULTURAL, OR LITERARY ORGANIZATION
Central District Forum for Arts and Ideas
BEST MULTI-DISCIPLINARY ORGANIZATION
Stroum Jewish Community Center
COMMUNITY PARTNER OF THE YEAR
Rain City Rock Camp
About TeenTix
In partnership with 70+ regional arts organizations, TeenTix ensures equitable arts access for all young people and empowers young people to engage in civic life through the arts. TeenTix exists to break down the barriers that prevent teens from accessing art in our community, such as ticket or admission cost, not knowing where to look for events, navigating transportation around the city, and feeling insecure about arts-going.
TeenTix was founded in 2004 by Seattle Center and in partnership with ten of the resident arts organizations on the Seattle Center campus. Now its own nonprofit, TeenTix has facilitated the sale of over 125,000 arts tickets to teens across Seattle and the Greater Puget Sound.
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