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Arts Clayton awards CCSU scholarship to Vinot

Arts Clayton has awarded Lovejoy High School graduate Christel Vinot the "Apanay Fine Arts Scholarship" to study music at Clayton College & State University beginning this fall. The $1500 scholarship, awarded annually by Arts Clayton, was initiated in 2001 to recognize the leadership and cultural contributions of Dr. Manolo Apanay, a local Clayton County physician, now retired, and to create an avenue for local high school seniors to study the arts at Clayton State.

Apanay has served on the boards of Arts Clayton and Clayton County Chamber of Commerce, and is an emeritus trustee of the Clayton College & State University Foundation. He was the catalyst for revitalizing Cultural Crossroad (slated for this September at Clayton State), which recognizes artistic diversity in the community and which now provides the funding to support the scholarship.

Apanay, in partnership with the Clayton/Henry/Fayette Medical Society, became the first sponsors of Cultural Crossroads and their contribution has been the springboard needed to cultivate the event.

"With this partnership [Clayton County School System, Clayton State, the Medical Society, along with Arts Clayton], we have been able to grow the scholarship year after year," said Linda Summerlin, executive director of Arts Clayton. "As an arts council, this is an excellent way to share our vision with the community and to support our students as they become more successful and productive citizens."

Lovejoy AP music theory instructor John L. Oden recommended Vinot for the Arts Clayton scholarship earlier this year and Lovejoy's director of orchestra studies, Jennifer Floyd, nominated her.

"Christel has excelled in AP Music theory this year, demonstrating keen musical ability and compositional skill," said Oden. "[She] frequently expands on her classroom work through independent composition and work that enhances her classroom experience."

"I have found Christel to be not only highly motivated and to have a great personality, but also to be very intelligent and perceptive in discussing both music and general matters,” added Floyd. "[Her] talents are not only known at Lovejoy, but countywide."

Vinot is the county winner for composition in the PTA Reflections Musical Composition Competition; she has been a member of the Spivey Chamber Workshop all four years of her high school career, and a pit member of the Clayton County All Star Musical "Annie."

"Christel demonstrates a deep commitment to her music and composition through daily work and her excellent demonstration of compositional as well as performance skills," continued Oden.

"I've dedicated the last seven years of my life to music," said Vinot. "I've always enjoyed playing the cello and [I] put my heart into it. In the last two years all my free time has been spent on writing music. I want to pursue music composition as a career. Two things in specific I would like to get into are film and video game music."

"I fully believe in Christel's potential and her prospects for finest success as a musician and composer," added Floyd. "I believe that the combination of her musical attributes and her fine playing musicianship will not only be effective within a musical environment, but will set a wonderful role model for students like herself."