SARINA PATEL OF TAMPA RECEIVES HIGHEST NATIONAL YOUNGARTS FOUNDATION AWARD FOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN SPOKEN WORD

Sarina Patel of Tampa from Carrollwood Day School has been named a 2021 National YoungArts Foundation (YoungArts) Finalist in Spoken Word, the organization’s highest honor. Patel joins 659 of the nation’s most accomplished artists in the visual, literary, and performing arts. She was selected by an esteemed discipline-specific panel of artists through a rigorous blind adjudication process. YoungArts award winners gain access to one of the most comprehensive programs for artists in the United States and will have opportunities for financial, creative, and professional development support throughout their entire careers.

“I am so honored to receive this national award,” said Patel “I never imagined that I would be the top 1 percent of writers selected for this distinction. The classes offered during YoungArts Week pushed me to challenge traditional definitions of artistry, both in the world and in my own art.” Patel will receive a cash prize up to $10,000 and the opportunity to learn from leading artists such as Debbie Allen, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Frank Gehry, Wynton Marsalis, Salman Rushdie and Mickalene Thomas. She is also eligible for exclusive creative and professional development support including a wide range of fellowships, residencies and awards; virtual and in-person presentation opportunities in collaboration with major venues nationwide.

As a YoungArts award winner, she joins a distinguished group of accomplished artists including Timothée Chalamet, Viola Davis, Nicki Minaj, Hunter Schafer, and Kerry Washington.

National YoungArts Foundation (YoungArts) was established in 1981 by Lin and Ted Arison. YoungArts identifies the most accomplished young artists in the visual, literary and performing arts, and provides them with creative and professional development opportunities throughout their careers. For more information, visit www.youngarts.org

This article first appeared in the KhaasBaat February publication. Check it out here.