In celebration of our 50th Anniversary, we held a video contest where we asked you to tell us "Why Arts Matter".  We heard from a number of arts enthusiasts, and amidst National Arts and Humanities Month, we are happy to announce the winners. 

Congratulations to the winners, and thank you for all the inspirational and creative submissions! 

Winner:  Starting Artists, Inc. Marisa Catalina Casey, Executive Director
Read Marisa's guest post on ARTSblog
Grand Prize: Video shown on the MTV 44 1/2 screen in Times Square and Flip UltraHD Camcorder
Video: Art is...

Over 18 Winner:  Student Advocates for the Arts Daria Pennington & Jonathan Lewis
Read Priya Sircar and Jonathan Lewis' guest post on ARTSblog
Prize: Flip UltraHD Camcorder
Video: You Need To Be An Arts Advocate - SAA

Under 18 Winner: Linzy Paige
Prize: Flip UltraHD Camcorder
Video: Why Arts Matter Video Contest

An excerpt of the winning video will be shown four times every hour from Monday, October 25th — Sunday, October 31st on MTV's 44 1/2 screen, the largest HD screen in Times Square. On Saturday, October 30th at 5:00pm Starting Artists is hosting a viewing party open to the public across from the screen on Broadway between 44th and 45th Streets, which students will document with their new Flip UltraHD camera. If you happen to be in New York City, stop by Time Square to show your support!