2023 State Superintendent's Awards for Arts Excellence

The State Superintendent Awards for Arts Excellence are awarded to high school juniors and seniors who have achieved artistic and academic excellence and served their communities. The arts have great value and are an important component of a well-rounded education. Students who participate in the arts — whether music, drama, dance, or in visual media— acquire skills that transfer to other academic areas and carry forward into adulthood. Please encourage your students and children who meet the criteria to apply for these honorary awards, which I am honored to cosponsor with the Oklahoma Alliance for Arts Education.

— Joy Hofmeister, State Superintendent of Public Instruction

The 2022 student and educator honoree list is available here.
Photos from the 2022 ceremony are also available. Congratulations! 

2023 State Superintendent's Arts Awards

The Oklahoma State Department of Education is pleased to join with the Oklahoma Alliance for Arts Education and the Masonic Fraternity of Oklahoma for the 33rd Annual State Superintendent Awards for Arts Excellence. It is important to recognize outstanding school board members, school administrators, and fine arts educators for their leadership and support of quality arts education and academic excellence in Oklahoma schools. In addition, we recognize and honor selected juniors and seniors who have excelled in their art forms (voice, instrumental, piano, dance, drama/theatre, and visual art).

Criteria for Application

High school juniors and seniors eligible to complete the application are those students who, during high school, have met one or more of the below criteria in their art form. If an award is received as a junior, the student is not eligible to receive the award in that art form again as a senior.

DANCE

Students should meet at least one of the following criteria: 

• Competed successfully in the jury process and received an Excellent or Superior rating at the Oklahoma High School Dance Festival
• Competed successfully in the jury process and participated in the Oklahoma Summer  Arts Institute Dance program
• Competed successfully in the jury process and participated in a comparable national or state program

Students must also submit a YouTube link (at least a two-minute video clip) of a solo dance performance.

DRAMA/THEATRE

Students should meet at least one of the following criteria: 

• Qualified for Regionals or placed first, second, or third at the State Speech contest sponsored by the Oklahoma Secondary Schools Activities Association (OSSAA)
• Selected for the All-Star Regional or All-State One-Act Play cast sponsored by the Oklahoma Secondary Schools Activities Association
• Successfully completed the audition process and participated in the Oklahoma Summer  Arts Institute theatre program
• 6-star Member of the International Thespian Society sponsored by the Educational Theatre Association
• Competed successfully in the audition process and participated in a comparable national or state program

INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC

Students should meet at least one of the following criteria: 

• Selected and participated in Oklahoma Music Educators Association (OkMEA) symphonic band, wind ensemble, jazz ensemble or orchestra
• Received a superior rating in an instrumental state solo competition sponsored by the Oklahoma Secondary Schools Activities Association
• Auditioned successfully and participated in the Oklahoma Summer Arts Institute
• Participated in a comparable national or state music event

PIANO

Students should meet at least one of the following criteria: 

• Named a district winner in performance for Oklahoma Music Teachers Association auditions
• Named a state, regional, or national winner of the Music Teachers National Association auditions
• Received the Guild High School Diploma
• Participated in a comparable national or state honor in piano

VISUAL ART

Students should meet at least one of the following criteria: 

• Competed successfully in the jury process and exhibited work in Young Talent in Oklahoma
• Competed successfully in the jury process and exhibited work in the Scholastic Art
• Competed successfully in the jury process and participated in the Oklahoma Summer  Arts Institute
• Competed successfully in the jury process and exhibited work in a comparable national or state competition

Students must also submit 2-3 JPGs or PDFs of original work.

 VOCAL MUSIC 

Students should meet at least one of the following criteria: 

• Selected and participated in Oklahoma Music Educators Association (OkMEA) mixed or treble chorus or jazz ensemble
• Received a superior rating in a vocal state solo competition sponsored by the Oklahoma Secondary Schools Activities Association
• Auditioned successfully and participated in the Oklahoma Summer Arts Institute
• Participated in a comparable national or state music event

In addition, all students will need the following information to apply: 

• Student home address
• School address
• School administrator information (mailing address)
• Recommending teacher information (mailing and email address)
• A document with answers to the application questions for easy copy/paste (see the application for questions - application will be posted in February 2023)
• Contact information for a local newspaper and district communications contact (if applicable)
• The names of the student's STATE level representative senator and house representative 
• Documents to upload at the end of the application:
  • Three (3) PDF or JPG letters of recommendation, including one letter from your current application subject area teacher (for example, if you are applying for a vocal music award, the letter should be from your current vocal music teacher). All letters should be related to the subject area for which you are applying.
    • If a student is applying for two areas, then they should submit the appropriate letters of recommendation with each application. For example, if a student applies for an art award and a piano award, the recommendation letters for art should refer to the student's visual art abilities.. 
  • Official high school transcript - PDF or JPG.

The 2023 application form will be available on this page February 1, 2023.