Norman —
Ada High School students Madysson Morris and Aubrey Halford have been accepted to the Oklahoma Summer Arts Institute at Quartz Mountain (OSAI), a prestigious arts academy held in June in southwestern Oklahoma.
The Ada students were among 272 students selected through competitive statewide auditions from a pool of more than 1,300 applicants. Morris will study modern dance at OSAI, and Halford was accepted into the chorus program.
In conjunction with acceptance, selected students receive full scholarships to the program worth over $2,500 each. Scholarships and program funding are provided by the Oklahoma State Department of Education, the Oklahoma Arts Council, and various foundations, corporations and individuals.
“We were very impressed by the number of highly talented applicants,” said Emily Clinton, OAI program director. “It’s a huge accomplishment to earn a spot at OSAI.”
OSAI, held June 9 - 24, provides training with award-winning artists in nine areas of the literary, visual, and performing arts. OSAI faculty artists have included winners of the Academy, Emmy, Grammy, and Tony Awards and the Pulitzer Prize. This year’s faculty highlights include Grammy-nominated musician Don Byron and actor Paul Austin, who has appeared on Law & Order and The West Wing.
The Oklahoma Arts Institute is a private, non-profit organization developed in 1977, with a mission to provide exceptional multidisciplinary arts experiences that develop individual talent and inspire a lifelong passion for the arts. OAI administers a program for talented Oklahoma youth every June and a series of continuing education workshops for adults every fall.
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