ARTS COUNCIL OF JOHNSON COUNTY ANNOUNCES 2024 SHOOTING STARS SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS

18 High School Seniors Receive College Scholarships For Excellence in the Literary, Performing and Visual Arts 99 High School Seniors Nominated in Nine Categories OVERLAND PARK, Kans. – April 7, 2024– The Arts Council of Johnson County announced 18 scholarship recipients at the 2024 Shooting Stars Gala on Sunday, April 7 at Johnson County Community College. This 27th annual Shooting Stars Gala honored 99 Johnson County high school seniors for achievement in the literary, performing, and visual arts through recognition and college scholarships. This special recognition program was created in 1997 by former Arts Council of Johnson County chairman Bob Endres. Bob’s vision was to

2023 Shooting Stars Scholarship Recipients

Two-Dimensional Art- 1st Place Scholarship Recipient Jade Achen Shawnee Mission East High School Nominated by Adam Finkelston Two-Dimensional Art- 2nd Place Scholarship Recipient Patty Morales Blue Valley North High School Nominated by Tom Holland Three-Dimensional Art- 1st Place Scholarship Recipient Mira Becker Blue Valley West High School Nominated by Nicholas Tomasic Three-Dimensional Art- 2nd Place Scholarship Recipient Audrey Roberts Blue Valley Northwest High School Nominated by Carly Kimbrough Literature- 1st Place Scholarship Recipient Tess Vanberg Blue Valley High School Nominated by Maureen Davis Literature- 2nd Place Scholarship Recipient Sydney Bonnstetter De Soto High School Nominated by Ryan Meara Photography- 1st Place Scholarship Recipient Julia Schnittker Shawnee Mission South High School Nominated by Mark Rice Photography- 2nd Place Scholarship Recipient Sophia Volovoy Blue Valley Northwest High School Nominated by Brian Pollack Production &

2023 Shooting Stars Judges

Ebonee Thomas, 2023 Shooting Stars Winds & Percussion Category Judge Ebonee Thomas is currently the Second Flute and Piccolo of The Dallas Opera. She has previously served as Principal Flute of the Knoxville Symphony, Principal Flute of the Florida Grand Opera, and Second Flute of the Houston Symphony. Ebonee spends her summers as a flutist with the Central City Opera in Colorado. She has also been guest principal with the Seattle Symphony, Fort Worth Symphony, San Antonio Symphony, and Santa Fe Opera. She received her Bachelor of Music degree from Southern Methodist University, her Master of Music degree from the New

Recommended Reading List for Local History

Want to know more about the history of this region? Here is a short recommended reading list from the Johnson County Museum’s curator of interpretation, Andrew Gustafson. From the Border War to the postwar suburbs, these books will give you a deeper look at how Johnson County and the Kansas Cities developed. A Pictorial History of Johnson County, Kansas by Johnson County Museum (2006) This book is an excellent overview of Johnson County’s history, from prehistory through the early 2000s. If you want to get a sense of the place, the people, and the episodes of history that shaped Johnson County, this