YoungArts Foundation, Miami
DesignArts Discipline
Co-Founder, Master Teacher, Nominator for National Presidential Scholars in the Arts
2014 - 2018
The National YoungArts Foundation was founded in 1981 by Lin and Ted Arison to identify and support exceptional young artists across the United States. Through its prestigious annual competition, YoungArts amplifies emerging talent by awarding scholarships and offering transformative educational experiences led by master teachers.
DesignArts is one of ten artistic disciplines in the national competition, welcoming portfolios in architecture, product design, graphic design, and fashion design.
Each year, winners with distinction are invited to National YoungArts Week—an immersive residency where students refine their craft alongside internationally acclaimed artists and connect across disciplines to form lasting creative networks.
Helen Maria Nugent was one of two design experts appointed to launch the DesignArts discipline, helping to shape the competition criteria and design the weeklong residency curriculum for winners held annually at YoungArts' Miami headquarters.
The DesignArts discipline debuted in 2014, with ten inaugural awardees participating in the first curated program and exhibition. Its launch was celebrated with a high-profile public panel, Design Now: Design Futures, co-moderated by Nugent and Adam Drisin, and featuring visionary figures including Paola Antonelli (Senior Curator of Architecture and Design at MoMA) and world-renowned architects Zaha Hadid and Frank Gehry.
Helen Maria’s tips for Young Arts Applicants