The City of Beaverton Arts Program is currently accepting applications for our Youth Arts program, recognizing the accomplishments and academic pursuits of young and emerging artists in the performing and visual arts.
The application will be open until Thursday, January 29, 2026, at 11:59 p.m.
Letters of recommendation are a requirement for each student's application. This letter must contain the following information: How long the recommender has known the applicant and in what capacity, and comment on the applicant's artistic work and growth of their creative practice. It is recommended that the letter is on the institution's letterhead.
If a recommender would prefer to send in letters independently of the student's application(s), please do so here. A recommender may submit more than one letter of recommendation if they were requested to do so by multiple students.
If you have any questions or need assistance, please contact Kourtnee Buechner at kbuechner@BeavertonOregon.gov.
The City of Beaverton Arts Program is now accepting applications for our Youth Arts Scholarships and Emerging Talent Awards, recognizing the accomplishments and academic pursuits of young and emerging artists in the performing and visual arts.
The application will be open from Tuesday, November 18, 2025, until Thursday, January 29, 2026, at 11:59 p.m.
The Arts Program supports young artists and promotes access to the arts for everyone. There are two categories of awards for which applicants can apply.
- Performing and Visual Arts Scholarships (high school seniors and independent/non-traditional studies students applying to enroll in college/university)
- Emerging Talent Awards (high school juniors)
Our Performing and Visual Arts Scholarships recognize outstanding achievement and encourage promising academic advancement. These scholarships aim to help foster a diverse and flourishing arts community. Multiple scholarships up to $2,500 will be awarded to high school seniors enrolled in K-12 traditional education settings as well as students enrolled in non-traditional settings i.e. home school, within and peripheral to Beaverton School District boundaries (i.e. Catlin Gabel).
Our Emerging Talent Awards are non-monetary awards given to one high school junior per each high school in Beaverton School District. These awards recognize the growth and potential of these individuals and will serve to acknowledge their accomplishments in advance of their college/university applications.
We encourage all eligible students to apply.*
The Beaverton Arts Program will be awarding young artists and outstanding achievements in two categories for each award program:
- Visual Arts, which includes traditional 2D and 3D media, graphic design, video and film, and digital arts/media, etc.
- Performing Arts, which includes music, dance, theater, improv/comedy, tech crew (studio recording and production), stage crew (lighting, sound, rigging), etc.
*Please note: Students that take a year off in-between high school and college forfeit their scholarship, unless they can provide proof of enrollment in coursework that supports their field of study.
Performing and Visual Arts Scholarships
High school, non-traditional and homeschooled students must currently be in their senior year or academic equivalent and must attend a public, private, or alternative high school within and peripheral to Beaverton School District boundaries. There is no age limit for these scholarships, but applicants must be living within Beaverton School District boundaries or have attended a public, private, charter or alternative high school within Beaverton School District boundaries. Visual arts applicants will be required to submit (3) .jpg files of their work and performing arts applicants will be required to submit video links that total 7-10 minutes in length. A letter of recommendation from a visual art or performing art instructor, guidance counselor or mentor is required for this application to be considered.*
Emerging Talent Awards
High school, non-traditional and homeschooled students must currently be in their junior year or academic equivalent and must attend a public, private, charter or alternative high school within and peripheral to Beaverton School District boundaries. There is no age limit for these awards, but applicants must be living within Beaverton School District boundaries or have attended a public, private, charter or alternative high school within Beaverton School District boundaries. Visual arts applicants will be required to submit (3) .jpg files of their work and performing arts applicants will be required to submit video links that total 7-10 minutes in length. A letter of recommendation from a visual art or performing art instructor, guidance counselor or mentor is required for this application to be considered.*
*Please note: A recommendation letter from a visual art or performing art instructor, guidance counselor or mentor is required for this application to be considered, but letters may be submitted separately by the recommender. For the recommender to submit their letter of support outside of the student submission, please have your recommender visit www.BeavertonOregon.gov/ArtSubmit.
Evaluation
A panel will review and evaluate applications and make recommendations for award recipients.
Please note that each applicant’s free response section will be evaluated and weighted evenly to submitted work samples.
For questions about the guidelines or application, contact Kourtnee Buechner, Arts Program Grants Coordinator, at kbuechner@BeavertonOregon.gov.
CALL TO CHOREOGRAPHERS / PERFORMERS | TEN TINY DANCES® 2026
The City of Beaverton Arts Program is seeking proposals from choreographers/dance performers to create and perform a dance as part of Ten Tiny Dances® on Saturday, July 11, 2026.
Ten choreographers. One very small stage. Ten Tiny Dances.
Nationally recognized and created in Portland by Mike Barber in 2002, Ten Tiny Dances invites diversity of response and provides a rich pallet of performance art for audiences/community members. The short dances confined by 4' x 4' stage become condensed statements of creativity and artist individuality.
As an annual event since 2009, Beaverton TTD is an opportunity to present both contemporary and traditional dance, to publicly highlight the rich mix of cultures in Beaverton, and to expose audience members to culturally and artistically diverse performances.
The event presents both contemporary and traditional/ethnic dancers on a 4’ x 4’ stage in non-traditional/unexpected outdoor locations. The format offers applicants the opportunity to explore the concept of creative limitation, and the small stage also positions dancers in very close contact with the audience. Artists are offered the opportunity to create site specific performances. The Arts Program actively promotes the event, and audiences have been large, and receptive.
The City of Beaverton cares about the health and safety of its residents, employees, and performers and reserves the right to impose public health and safety-related measures at city events.
ESSENTIAL INFORMATION
· For your convenience this is a pdf of the call to artist
· To help you submit the best application possible watch this 14-minute video of helpful hints
· Here’s a 3-minute video of last year’s TTD performances
· For more inspiration watch these samples of TTD performances
ENTRANT’S CALENDAR 2026
THU, JAN 8 Call to artist opens online
THU, MAR 12 Deadline for artists to apply electronically, by 11:59 pm, PST
MAR/APR Selection Panel meets to select performers to be included in TTD 2026
APR/MAY Artists MUST attend this informational/site visit meeting from 6-8 pm, date TBD
MAY /JUNE ALL performers must attend a one-hour rehearsal review with Artistic Director Mike Barber. Dates and times to be determined after selection.
FRI, JUL 10 Attend rehearsal (see schedule)
SAT, JUL 11 TTD event performance from 7-8:30 PM (see schedule)
ARTISTIC CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES
- Use of the 4’ x 4’ stage (18" high)
- Dance must be a minimum of five minutes and no more than seven minutes in length
- Audience will be close to performers and may be on three or four sides
- Concept should consider challenge and benefits of creative limitation due to the “tiny” stage format and close proximity to the audience.
- Your concept should consider the tiny stage and should be performed primarily within the confines of the stage, as opposed to off or around the stage.
- Stage location will be at The Round Amphitheater 12600 SW Crescent St, Beaverton OR 97005
- Performance is intended to be fully in The Round (seen by audience on all sides)
- If your proposal includes a traditional/ethnic form of dance, please exercise discretion and care to not misappropriate or misrepresent
- Creativity, including use of the tiny stage, is highly encouraged
- Each of the 10 dances will be presented one time during the performance
- Music level is difficult to control in outdoor spaces and there may be ambient noise bleed from the Max train or other sources
- Dances can use more than one performer as well as recorded or live music, depending on preference (there will be professional sound equipment and technicians available)
- Licensing and/or written consent to use music must be obtained by artists in advance of the event
- Dancers are encouraged to surprise, delight, or challenge the audience, but they must be family-friendly and appropriate for outdoor, public audiences.
ARTIST SELECTION PROCESS AND CRITERIA
A selection panel will review submissions from applicants and make recommendations to the Program Coordinator and Artistic Director. As you prepare the proposal for your application, please be aware that your application will be evaluated by the following criteria:
- Strength of previous artistic work and proposed performance concept
- Artist has demonstrated intent in their application within their written narrative explaining why they are interested in the creative challenges (tiny stage, proximity to audiences, outdoor location) inherent in making work for Then Tiny Dances
- Artist’s work samples reflect their range and technical abilities as a performer (or performance group)
- Artist demonstrates clear vision and artistic innovation
- Proposed performance is suitable for a public audience
Ten choreographers/dancers will be selected representing traditional, ethnic, and contemporary styles. We encourage proposals from artists that draw from contemporary, traditional, or ethnic backgrounds and dance forms. If you have multiple participants, please make sure that all of those collaborators are included in your proposal.
COMPENSATION AND ARTIST REQUIREMENTS
- Each performance group will receive $2,000
- There are three required commitments to receive full payment: 1. Informational and site visit meeting ($500) 2. Conceptual Review meeting ($500) 3. Rehearsal and event ($1,000)
- Checks will be distributed the day of the event
- No additional funds are available for travel, musicians, etc. You decide how to allocate the funds.
CHOREOGRAPHERS AND PERFORMERS MUST:
- Attend the site-visit orientation in April or May from 6-8 pm, date to be determined.
- Attend the required conceptual review/rehearsal with the artistic director, Mike Barber. The exact dates/times for the May/June visits will be determined after performers have been selected
- Attend the event orientation and rehearsal on Friday, July 10, 2026, 6:30-8 pm
- Send your digital music to the professional sound company at least two weeks prior to the event date
- Perform dance on Saturday, July 11, 2026, from 7-8:30 pm
- Choreographers and performers will receive the full fee ONLY if they participate in these three required activities:
- Attend the orientation/informational meeting and site visit in April or May 2026 (at least one representative) | $500
- May/June review rehearsal with Mike Barber | $500
- Attend the rehearsal on Friday, July 10, and the event on Saturday, July 11 | $1,000
TO APPLY FILL OUT THE APPLICATION FORM IN SUBMITTABLE
DEADLINE to apply is Thursday, March 12, 11:59 pm, PST
- Written description of your 5 to 7-minute proposed dance performance. Please provide a clear description of the concepts and the dance/performance forms you will use
- Description can be no more than 500 words
- Include how you would categorize/classify your dance style
- Resume/vita, no longer than 2 pages, in pdf format attached to your online application
- Link to webpage showing video of your previous choreography and performance
- It is the applicant’s responsibility to identify exactly which 3–5-minute segment(s) of the web link the selection panel should watch. The review panel will not be able to watch more than the 3–5-minute section(s)
- The selection committee finds it very helpful if the web link contains work that was done in a confined space, on a small stage, or if a 4’ x 4’ square is taped on to the floor representing the stage size
APPLICATION ASSISTANCE
We are looking forward to receiving materials from a variety of qualified contemporary, traditional and ethnic choreographers/dancers. We do not want this application process to be a barrier to qualified applicants applying (i.e., those with limited English skills, speech, reading or hearing disabilities, etc.). If you are interested and need assistance, please contact us.
Please email Debi Thompson at dthompson@BeavertonOregon.gov if you have questions or need assistance.