Battle Ground — The artistic talents of River HomeLink student Riley Donahue were given a thumbs up recently when he won “Honorable Mention in Design Arts” from the National YoungArts Foundation. The 17-year-old Vancouver artist was one of more than 11,000 applicants vying for awards across 10 disciplines, though only 687 won. All the honorable mention winners not only won $250, but received a recommendation letter to help them succeed after high school. Donahue said he’s been displaying his works at local galleries since he was 10 years old and created his own art business, Old Riley Artworks, when he was 16.
Since 1981, the YoungArts Foundation has given more than $6 million to nearly 17,000 artists.