The annual Arts NC State creative and performing arts awards celebrate NC State students who either create new work and/or perform in dance, music or theatre.
For the Creative Artist Awards, students apply by submitting an original composition in dance, music or theatre. The Performing Artist Awards recognize exceptional student performers, selected by Arts NC State program directors and faculty. All winners receive a cash award and will be honored at a ceremony in fall 2020.
The awards are administered and funded by Arts NC State and were originally made possible from a generous grant from the NC State Foundation, Inc. The Creative Artist Award is now partially funded by the Suzanne Kennedy-Stoskopf Endowment for Creativity in the Performing Arts.
2019-2020 Creative Artist Awards
DANCE
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Jenna Finkelstein was selected for the Creative Artist Award for her dance titled Standby. Finkelstein is a senior majoring in biochemistry with a minor in dance, and has been a member of the State Dance Company throughout her time as a student at NC State. She began dancing at the age of four and trained primarily in ballet, jazz and modern dance at City Ballet in Raleigh. |
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Paul Kim was selected for the Creative Artist Award for his dance titled Closure. Kim graduated in May 2020 with a degree in business administration with a concentration in operations/supply chain management. He was a member of Panoramic Dance Project for the last two years, and danced with NC State student groups Fusion and Naazare for four years. |
MUSIC
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Noah Baldwin was selected for the Creative Artist Award for his composition Of Autumns Gone By for wind ensemble. This is Baldwin’s second award; he won in 2018 for his composition Carolina. Baldwin graduated in May 2020 with a degree in design studies. He finds joy in a range of creative outlets, and plans to cultivate his passion for entrepreneurship and photography while sustaining his deeply-rooted connection to music. Honorable Mention in Music: Duncan Pickett, sophomore in mechanical engineering, for Kamala, a composition for wind ensemble. |
THEATRE
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Aysia Slade was selected for the Creative Artist Award for her original play, Static. Slade is a senior majoring in psychology with minors in theatre and political science. She has appeared in multiple University Theatre productions, including Men on Boats, Bright Star, and Ragtime. Slade notes that Static has been through many different versions since she first decided to start writing it during her freshman year; the only thing that hasn’t changed is the characters and her love for them. Throughout the process she felt devoted to creating characters that are an authentic representation of the people in her life and a story that honestly captured moments of heightened humanity. Honorable Mentions in Theatre: Penny Lawrence, May 2020 graduate with degrees in art studies (theatre) and English (film), for the original play Middle Grounds, a joint submission with Jack DeWeese. Jack DeWeese, senior in arts studies (art history), with minors in arts entrepreneurship and Chinese language and culture, for the original play Middle Grounds, a joint submission with Penny Lawrence. Griffin James, May 2020 graduate in English with a concentration in creative writing, and minors in theatre and arts entrepreneurship, for the original play Heritage. |
2019-2020 Performing Artist Awards
DANCE
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Solteria Ross has been a company member of Panoramic Dance Project for three years. She is a senior majoring in engineering with an aerospace engineering intent from Charlotte. Ross has been dancing since the age of two, competitively dancing since the age of nine, and has traveled to many national dance conventions over the years. Her favorite dance genres are hip-hop and tap. |
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Paul Kim was a company member of Panoramic Dance Project for the last two years. He graduated in May 2020 with a degree in business administration with a concentration in operations/supply chain management. While at NC State, he also danced with NC State student groups Fusion and Naazare. |
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Madison Johnson was a member of State Dance Company for all four years as a student at NC State. She graduated in May 2020 with a degree in psychology. A native of New Bern, Johnson began dancing at two years old and trained competitively in several different styles, mainly contemporary and jazz. She attended the American Dance Festival Summer Intensive in 2018 and was selected to perform in a new piece by Abby Zbikowski, commissioned for the festival. |
MUSIC
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Michael Gardo is a junior majoring in electrical engineering. He received the Performing Artist Award in recognition of his excellent work and performances throughout the 2019-2020 academic year and leadership within the piano studio. Michael started playing piano about 11 years ago, and entered the piano minor program as soon as he arrived at NC State. |
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Coleman Williams is a junior majoring in environmental and marine science. The Performing Artist Award recognizes his outstanding percussion performances in the Department of Music. Coleman began playing drums in his sophomore year of high school and started with the NC State jazz program in his freshman year. He began with a combo but was asked to play in big band his second semester, where he has performed since, demonstrating his skills in jazz, Latin, funk and blues rhythms. |
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Lucy Kimbell is a senior majoring in biochemistry, with a minor in music. She won the Performing Artist Award in recognition of her excellent music minor recital jury, her accomplishments in the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) competitions (selected as one of 14 national semifinalists in her category in spring 2019), and the quality singing she has done at NC State. Kimbell has been a member of the State Chorale every semester as a student and was a section leader this past year. She plans to apply to graduate schools for voice. |
THEATRE
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Nicole Hiemenz is a senior in fashion and textile management (fashion development and product management concentration) and a minor in theatre graduating December 2020. This past season, she starred as the Stage Manager in University Theatre’s production of Our Town, and Mother in Ragtime. Hiemenz adores storytelling in all its forms and finds the engaging and unique nature of theatrical storytelling to be the most fun. When not performing, they can be found costume designing, stage managing, directing, or “learning how to make anything and everything under the sun.” |
