Inspiring the Next Generation of Creatives: How Teen Art Awards Transforms Talent Into Success

Yuliana Arles
Oct 28, 2024
12 min read

In the rapidly evolving world of contemporary art, where tradition meets innovation, it is essential to support young talent and provide them with opportunities for creative expression. This is the mission embodied by the Art.Coordinate.Foundation and the groundbreaking Teen Art Awards (TAA), founded by Daria Kalinina and Yaroslav Markov. Their goal is simple yet profound: to offer young artists a platform to showcase their talent on the international stage, helping them grow not only as creators but also as confident individuals in an increasingly digital and multifaceted world.

The Teen Art Awards serves as a bridge between emerging talent and the global art community, giving teenagers a rare opportunity to bring even their boldest ideas to life and be noticed. TAA not only equips them with tools for self-promotion through modern mediums like digital art, NFTs, and AI-driven art, but the organizers also emphasize universal themes such as human relationships, cultural values, and the legacy we can pass on to future generations.

What makes this project truly unique is its focus on supporting youth at a critical juncture in their lives. Daria and Yaroslav understand that the teenage years are a pivotal time for discovering one’s passions, yet many young artists face resistance from a world that often undervalues creative professions. Through their foundation, they aim to break down these barriers, providing young artists with the tools, guidance, and confidence to pursue their dreams.

In this exclusive interview, Daria Kalinina shares the inspiration behind the foundation, the challenges she faced while building an international platform for young artists, and how the Teen Art Awards is shaping the future of creative professions. Along with Yaroslav Markov, they discuss the importance of embracing contemporary art forms and ensuring that young artists have the resources and support they need to thrive in today’s world.

This conversation will not only inspire art lovers, but also those who believe in the transformative power of creativity and the importance of nurturing young talent.

Yuliana Arles: How did you first become involved in the art world, and what inspired you to launch the Art.Coordinate.Foundation and create the Teen Art Awards?

Daria Kalinina: Initially, I wasn’t involved in the art world at all. My first education was in psychology, but I quickly transitioned into image-making and producing, which fascinated me. I loved helping clients build personal brands, and my psychology background helped me understand their motivations and create authentic positioning for them.

Unexpectedly, people from the art world began entering my life. At an exhibition in St. Petersburg, I met an art critic who became a key figure on my journey. She introduced me to the Hermitage and deepened my understanding of art. That meeting changed my life, and I went on to earn a Master’s degree from the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts, focusing on Kazimir Malevich and the Russian Avant-garde.

The Art.Coordinate.Foundation grew from my desire to combine my skills in branding and producing with my newfound passion for art. The foundation became a platform for young artists, giving them a space to grow and be recognized, while also helping businesses strengthen their strategies through art with our project "Art as a Competitive Advantage in Business."

I also noticed that young people, especially teenagers, face significant barriers when they express interest in creative professions. Parents often push them toward more traditional careers like law or medicine. That’s when I decided to create a project specifically for teenagers—Teen Art Awards—because this age group is often overlooked, yet it is during this time that their life paths are shaped.

Yuliana Arles: Your project clearly gained recognition and was highly appreciated early on. Could you share who the key individuals behind the success of the Teen Art Awards are?

Daria Kalinina: This project is built on friendship and collaboration. Many colleagues from all over the world supported us, and without their contributions, the Teen Art Awards wouldn’t be possible. This isn’t just a project for teenagers; it’s for all of us—everyone has had someone in their life who made a difference, who supported and inspired them. The warmth and support from people worldwide have been crucial to this project.

Yuliana Arles: Could you explain how exactly the Teen Art Awards help young artists shape their careers?

Daria Kalinina: Today, being an artist is a multifaceted concept. Beyond talent, you need to know how to promote yourself, develop communication skills, collaborate, and build long-term strategies. Art schools typically teach technique, but they don’t teach how to navigate the digital age or how to market yourself. Through the Teen Art Awards, we show young artists the full spectrum of what it takes to succeed—routine, discipline, and teamwork. Talent alone is no longer enough.

Yaroslav Markov (Art Director, Art.Coordinate.Foundation): As Daria mentioned, the awards provide crucial image tools for young artists to promote themselves. Imagine being 13 years old and having the opportunity to showcase your work on an international stage. We give these teenagers their first exhibition, catalog, and exposure to the global art world—all for free. This is an incredible launching pad for their careers.

Yuliana Arles: That’s a wonderful opportunity for teenagers to make a name for themselves globally. Could you share how the selection process works for the Teen Art Awards? Yaroslav also mentioned exhibitions and catalog publications—what else can winners of the new season expect?

Daria Kalinina: We value creativity, originality, and the desire to express individuality. For example, Lena Oczkowska from Poland was a real star of our first season—her work was so original that she unanimously won the graphic arts category. Her pieces were prominently featured at the exhibition, and the public response was overwhelming.

In the first season, prizes included an exhibition, an international catalog, and grants for further education. In the second season, we expanded to 38 countries and moved to a digital exhibition format with the use of AI. We also introduced a special trophy, which we call the "Oscar" for contemporary teen artists. In the future, we plan to release this in collaboration with international artists.

Yuliana Arles: Those are certainly prizes worth striving for. One more question—are there any specific criteria that the jury considers when evaluating the work of young creators?

Daria Kalinina: We found that very often, the description plays a key role in evaluating the work. The relevance to the theme, original presentation, the artist's level of thinking, and potential all come into play. Everything works together, but the way an artist explains their work often allows seemingly unremarkable pieces to become winners.

Yuliana Arles: Undoubtedly, every piece that passes such a selection process deserves attention. However, are there any artists who have particularly impressed you? Would you kindly tell us about someone specific?

Daria Kalinina: I have two favorite artists from the first season. One is Lena from Poland, who I mentioned earlier. The other is Roman Grishin, whose story is truly touching. He lived far from the Academy he dreamed of attending, and he didn’t have the opportunity to attend special prep courses. His family also couldn’t afford the travel costs since he has a twin brother who was also applying at the same time.

Roman took first place in the awards and received a grant to prepare for his exams. Out of all the applicants to the most prestigious book graphics department, he placed first, and now he’s the top student at the Stieglitz Academy, the pride of the department. His works are already in private collections. His story is not just about talent, but about incredible hard work.

I know Roman personally, and I’ve never seen anyone work as hard as he does. He truly serves art. Now, he’s even started writing articles as an art critic, presenting at conferences, and delving deeper into the issues that interest him. Roman is our pride, and we’re thrilled to watch his progress as he raises the bar and hones his skills step by step.

Yaroslav Markov (Art Director, Art.Coordinate.Foundation): For me, the most impressive thing isn’t about one particular artist. It’s the way the awards, as mentioned earlier, opened the door to the art world on such a scale for so many kids, regardless of whether they’re from a big city or a small village. It really can be compared to the Oscars—the emotions I saw in the kids on the day of the award ceremony were unforgettable, both in the first and second seasons.

Yuliana Arles: Seeing how the number of countries and participants grows each season, it’s hard to believe this was achieved with such a small team—definitely something worthy of admiration. I imagine it hasn’t been easy. Could you share some of the challenges you faced while organizing TAA?

Daria Kalinina: The real challenges came during the third season. I’m based in Dubai, and all the in-person meetings take place here. We’re doing the project with the final in Saudi Arabia, and now I’m actively working on building connections, but it’s clear that to do a project in Saudi Arabia, you really need to live there.

Plus, my entire team is in St. Petersburg, so I’m balancing between three countries. We started an open call and announced that even more countries would participate than in the second season, and now it’s a whole quest to collect applications from around the world. It’s not easy and requires a lot of multitasking. I admit I wasn’t fully prepared for this format, but growth doesn’t come without challenges. I see this as an important step in the professional growth and development of the awards. As the saying goes, “The road is mastered by the one who walks it.”

Yuliana Arles: Such efforts are undoubtedly rewarded, as you are doing incredibly noble work. Would you mind sharing which moments from the first and second seasons of the Teen Art Awards were the most memorable for you?

Daria Kalinina: The first season, you could say, was experimental for us. We received our first international award as the best project of the year at the Culture Online Awards and the regional Silver Archer award for the best youth project of the year. We didn’t expect such success, considering the project was only a year old, and our team consisted of just three people at that time—it all seemed incredible.

Naturally, that inspired us to keep moving forward, and we launched a project in the UAE. The second season was completely different, being our first project in another country. One of the most memorable moments for me was the art tour we organized with the kids in Sharjah. At first, the kids were shy, but by the end of the tour, they had become friends and found new connections—it all went wonderfully!

Yaroslav Markov (Art Director, Art.Coordinate.Foundation): Honestly, when the awards were first created, we thought it would be a regional competition in the first season. But right from the start, with participants from eight countries, the project gained international status. The art community welcomed it with such warmth and incredible support that, as Daria mentioned, by the second season we were able to showcase this project on an international platform in the creative capital of the world—I think that’s an indelible impression that will fuel the awards in the future.

Yuliana Arles: What are your expectations for this year’s final in Saudi Arabia? What are the future plans for the Art.Coordinate.Foundation?

Daria Kalinina: The third season brings with it the cultural specifics of the location we’re working with. Saudi Arabia was a closed country for a long time, and now they’re experiencing a cultural renaissance. Building and integrating this project is like a performance in itself. But of course, it’s a unique experience, and we are pioneers in this, so the journey itself is transformative.

We don’t have grand expectations—we just want to become part of Saudi Arabia’s art community, for the project to take root there and become its own, adapting to the culture. That’s the main thing I hope for.

As for future plans, we want to scale while remaining true to our mission. We want to maintain our curiosity, drive, and audacity, and always believe that when you do something with love, everything will eventually work out.

Yuliana Arles: Working with so many countries, what differences and similarities do you notice in their cultural approaches to art and the development of young talent?

Daria Kalinina: I’ve noticed that the kids from Africa are incredibly energetic and active—they value every opportunity, even the smallest chance to make a name for themselves. They are the most active. We have an ambassador there, Elisa Niyogisubizo from Rwanda, and we’re very grateful for his tremendous support.

I’d also like to mention teacher Nanda Das from India, who organized a presentation for the awards and supports his students at every stage, appreciating the opportunity this presents for them. It’s incredibly valuable to see the dedication of people who are passionate about their profession.

Yuliana Arles: Your foundation is clearly keeping up with the times, providing young people with opportunities to realize their creative ideas through various modern mediums. In your opinion, how is digital art or NFT art changing the way young artists perceive creativity?

Daria Kalinina: I believe we are witnessing a transitional era. In the first and second seasons, traditional techniques were much more prevalent, but now, with the advent of artificial intelligence, the landscape is changing. In the fourth season, we will definitely introduce a separate AI category.

Yuliana Arles: Could you share more about the initiatives planned to support young talent in the future?

Daria Kalinina: We plan to place a greater emphasis on education in the future, immersing the kids in the profession and forming a conscious approach. We want to bring in more countries, organize workshops, masterclasses, and art tours around the world.

We’re also planning to create significant collaborations with artists, art funds, museums, and auction houses. Additionally, we aim to launch an educational platform as a separate project, with involvement from leading specialists from around the globe. There are many plans, but the key is to keep moving forward, and everything else will fall into place.

Yuliana Arles: It appears that everything you touch is destined for success. What motivates you to continue supporting young artists on their path?

Daria Kalinina: I believe that project ideas don’t just appear out of nowhere. They’re part of your mission, something you’re called to fulfill.

There are times when it’s difficult for me, too, because the project is expanding from season to season, and it requires a lot of resources to sustain. Our path isn’t lined with roses—it’s a huge daily effort. But I believe that when you do something valuable for the world, for culture, and for talented individuals who will bring something unique to art, everything will work out. The strength, resources, and the right people will come to you and nourish you with their support.

Yuliana Arles: Based on your experience, what do you think young artists should keep in mind when trying to break into the international art scene?

Daria Kalinina: I’m convinced that the key to unlocking most, if not all doors, lies in proper communication, a thoughtful approach, and discipline.

You need to be able to communicate, talk about yourself, present yourself stylishly and effectively. Success doesn’t end with one exhibition or one successful project. You have to keep moving forward, understanding that this is a marathon and you need patience. Inspiration is great, but only discipline will carry you through difficult times when motivation wanes.

It’s also crucial to prepare teenagers for the fact that the road won’t be easy, so they don’t live under illusions that could hurt them if things don’t go as planned. Hard work, gratitude for life’s opportunities, the ability to see and seize every chance—without arrogance or ego, which often appears after the first taste of success—are all key.

The ability to appreciate even the smallest opportunities is crucial because you never know where they might lead. These are simple things, but it’s not easy to follow them throughout the journey.

Yuliana Arles: And to conclude our interview, what advice would you give to young artists just starting their careers in the art world?

Daria Kalinina: Learn to make friends and help your peers grow—this is a unique experience. Learn to value the knowledge and advice of teachers and professionals who have achieved significant results, because sometimes one right piece of advice can radically change your entire direction.

Learn to be grateful, to appreciate opportunities, while remaining open and curious for new knowledge. And, of course, work hard—this is something you need to understand from the very beginning. Eventually, routine will turn into a system that will yield results over time.

And even though we live in a digital age, it’s important to honor the old masters—visit museums, galleries, artists’ studios, read books, fill your soul with beauty and knowledge. These will lay the groundwork for the development of your individuality and unique visual language. This is the foundation that will eventually form your artistic signature, so don’t neglect it. Always keep learning, and don’t forget to dream.

Dreams have a way of coming true!

Yaroslav Markov (Art Director, Art.Coordinate.Foundation): Don’t be afraid to try! Don’t be afraid to try again if things don’t work out the first time. The art world is vast, and if you can’t unlock it from one side, it doesn’t mean you can’t enter from another. The main thing is to believe in what drives your desire to create. There are no rules—just create! (As long as it’s from a pure heart.)

For anyone moved by Daria Kalinina’s impactful projects, we welcome you to reach out, either directly to Daria or through YV Art. We’re delighted to assist with any questions about joining or supporting her foundation. Contact links and additional information are available below.

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