Shooting Stars · 2025

an overview, wide-angle shot of the gallery for the Shooting Stars 2024 exhibit at the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art

Created in 1997 by Chairman Emeritus Robert Endres, a then member of the Board for the Arts and Humanities Association of Johnson County, the Shooting Stars Program is one of a few initiatives in the community to honor high school students and their arts educators for artistic excellence in the literary, performing, and visual arts through recognition, scholarships, and awards.

With the help of generous contributors and program partners including Johnson County Community College, the Midwest Trust Center, the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art, the Arts Ambassadors and the dedicated board, staff, and volunteers of the Arts Council of Johnson County, the program continues to grow. Since its creation, the Shooting Stars Program has recognized over 1,000 high school seniors and awarded more than $400,000 in college scholarships and $70,000 in teacher awards.

To participate in the Program, twelfth grade students must be nominated by their high school arts teacher and be a resident of Johnson County, Kansas. Once nominated, finalists then audition or submit a portfolio of work for review by independent judges. All participating teachers and students are honored and scholarship recipients announced at the Annual Shooting Stars Gala in the spring.

This year, students honored in the Shooting Stars Program have been nominated by arts faculty members from high schools in the Blue Valley, De Soto, Gardner-Edgerton, Mill Valley, Olathe, Shawnee Mission and Spring Hill School Districts, The Barstow School, Heritage Christian Academy, Kansas City Christian High School, Pembroke Hill Upper School, Saint Thomas Aquinas High School and St. Teresa's Academy.

With the ongoing support of the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art, works by the visual arts finalists are exhibited annually in the Museum. Whitney Williamson, Museum Registrar, and Bailey McCulloch, Assistant Registrar, selected one work from each of the finalists for exhibition in the Museum. We hope you enjoy this year’s exhibition.

The Arts Council of Johnson County enhances the quality of life in the community by strengthening the arts.

Arts Council of Johnson County Board of Directors

Governing Board

  • Joe Waters, President
  • Matthew Walter, Vice-president
  • Jeff Serven, Treasurer
  • JoAnne Northrup, Secretary
  • Jasmine Thompson
  • Jennifer Wampler
  • Casey Wilhm
  • Hannes Zacharias
  • Aaron Otto, Board Liaison

Advisory Board

  • Emily Behrmann, Chair
  • Lonita Cook
  • Enrique Chi
  • Donna Davis
  • James Green
  • Angi Hejduk
  • Cheryl Kimmi
  • Dana Knapp
  • Bonnie Limbird
  • Kelly Seward

Chairman Emeritus

  • Robert G. Endres

Arts Ambassadors

  • Gerald Baird
  • Lynne & Peter Brown
  • Terry Calaway
  • Linda Carlsen
  • Richard Carrothers & Dennis Hennessy
  • Eileen Cohen
  • Joni Cohen
  • Mark Gilman
  • Pam & Gary Gradinger
  • Shirley & Barnett Helzberg
  • Linda & Topper Johntz
  • David Kiersznowski
  • Diana & Len Kline
  • Demi Lloyd
  • Kay Martin
  • Lee & Carl McCaffree
  • Pat & Beth McCown
  • Larry Meeker
  • Susan & Lewis Nerman
  • Marti & Tony Oppenheimer
  • Ann & Bob Regnier
  • Mary Tearney

Scholarship Categories

  • Literature
  • Photography
  • Strings
  • Theatre Performance
  • Production & Design
  • Three-Dimensional Art
  • Two-Dimensional Art
  • Voice Classical
  • Winds and Percussion