Orange County High School Artist of the Year Winners Announced
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Orange County high school Artists of the Year are (top row, from left) Rio Gomez of Fullerton, dance; Gavin Shams of Dana Point, theater; Naomi Gesk of Irvine, instrumental music; Lexie Shehab of Newport Beach, vocal music; (bottom row, from left) Lucius Acker of Placentia, fine arts; Angela Nguyen of Stanton, media arts; and Christopher Blocher of Los Alamitos, film and TV. (Photos by Leonard Ortiz, The Orange County Register/SCNG).
Orange County high school Artist of the Year winners announced
Members of the UC Irvine Claire Trevor School of the Arts served as judges for the 2026 Orange County Artist of the Year program presented by the Orange County Register and Segerstrom Center for the Arts. Judges included Geoffrey Pope, assistant professor of teaching and director of orchestral studies; Sarah Koo, lecturer in cello and chamber music; Daniel Keeling, assistant professor of teaching in musical theatre; Ariyan Johnson, assistant professor of dance; and Jaime DeJong, senior director of marketing and communications. Dean Tiffany López also presented the award for the Fine Arts category during the ceremony held at the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall on May 13, 2026.
During the competition and judging process, several UCI Arts representatives reflected on the talent, creativity and initiative demonstrated by students across Orange County. Johnson shared, “I’m really excited about these new artists. This is why we do what we do.” Koo emphasized the supportive spirit of the program, noting, “They care, but in a healthy way.” In the theater category, Keeling praised one student’s initiative and resourcefulness, stating, “He’s an initiator.”
Read more about the finalists and winners in The Orange County Register (subscription required).
