From costume designing to dancing, acting, singing, circus arts teaching, music playing, and backstage work, 18-year-old Rita Christianson wears many hats.

And on April 1, she will be recognized at a ceremony in Juneau as a Champion of Arts in Education by the Alaska Arts Education Consortium, for her leadership and education contributions in the arts world.

She is one of four Alaskans who will be honored, and the only one selected in the “arts student” category for grades 6 through 12. The award honors individuals who “champion” the arts in education, and “carry the torch for arts education through high-caliber instruction, arts support and ongoing arts promotion,” the arts consortium said in the award announcement. Other winners were named in the categories of arts leader, arts educator and arts advocate, which are awards for adults.

Zeke Blackwell, director of Sitka's Young Performers Theater, wrote a letter of recommendation for Christianson, saying she more than qualifies for the honor.

“She’s been one of the most singularly passionate, supportive and impactful students I have ever had,” said Blackwell, who has known Christianson since she was a 7-year-old acting in Young Performers Theater plays at the Sitka Fine Arts Camp.

Blackwell noticed her leadership skills at an early age.

“She helped younger students, modelling good behavior, answering questions, and actively establishing a sense of calm in stressful backstage moments,” Blackwell wrote in his letter of recommendation. “Rita loves theater because it is an inclusive environment, and it was during this time in middle school, that she really began to use art as a way to express their own unique self and a way to inclusively encourage her peers to do the same.”

He described her participation in school and community programs as a way to build bridges, support marginalized youths and promote respect “across cliques, schools and communities.”

“Before Rita even made it to high school she was seeking ways to use art to help create the kind of joyful, respectful inclusive world she wants to grow up in,” the theater director said.

In her high school years, she has become more interested in costume, hair and makeup design, and moved into backstage support roles for several theater productions, where she also demonstrated superb leadership skills, he said.

“I’ve watched her change the minds of elementary school boys, showing them how a simple make-up design can bring a character to life and help us be stronger storytellers,” he said. “I watched her, as a sophomore, start to take lead as the make-up designer for our local Sitka Cirque production, another arts organization she’s participated in for a long time. She designed and led a team of make-up artists to apply fantastical cirque-de-soleil style makeup to 100+ performers ages 5 through adult.”

As a junior she took on the role of costume designer for the YPT spring musical “Annie,” which had a junior cast and an older cast, and dozens of performers.

She designed, sourced and altered all the costumes, and in one work day she worked with 50 kids on an “orphan costume ruining day.” She invited the kids to stain the clothes to create the Depression-era look.

“I had tea and coffee and literally buckets of dirt, and I was like, ‘Great. Make these look horrible,” Rita said in a Sentinel interview..

Last summer took her skills to a different stage as part of "The Importance of Being Me," a national queer youth program based at Florida’s Thinking Cap Theatre.

“I worked with one of the other students, college students, they wrote a play and as they were writing it I designed costumes for it,” Christianson said. “I threw out the designs and went through the process and that was a really fun opportunity.”

Christianson has been involved in Sitka Cirque for a number of years as a performer, and in seventh grade started teaching youth classes as an employee of the studio. She said she believes the Champion award, which is focused on arts education, recognizes her leadership work in that field.

Sitka Fine Arts Camp faculty member Brendan Jones wrote a letter of support for Christianson as silks teacher for his three daughters, and for her volunteer work helping him out in his Cuban salsa dancing class for grades 1-5.

“Rita’s a natural artist; I’m really excited someone at the state level knows what they’re doing when her application came across their desk,” he said today. “She’s got an instinctive ability to connect with kids and lead them to excellence in the arts. ... I’m psyched for Rita - I think she’s awesome.”

Sitka High music teacher Andrew Hames noted her work in his concert choir, jazz band and guitar classes, and her participation in regional, state and All Northwest honor choirs. He is familiar with her costume work through his kids’ participation in theater, and noted her leadership qualities as well.

“i have seen many instances in my classroom where Rita has taken the time to help a peer who was struggling with a musical concept or technique,” Hames said. “Her explanations are clear and patient and she fosters a supportive and encouraging learning environment. Whether she is helping a classmate with a vocal part or guiding a fellow musician through a challenging passage, Rita’s approachability and encouraging patience are qualities that benefit her leadership beyond the music room.”

Other letters of support were written by Willa Johnson of the Sitka Pride Committee, and Sarah Ferrency, a volunteer from Sitka Cirque.

Johnson commented, “She helps foster a vibrant and supportive community for others, Rita is also a leader. She comes up with new ideas for Sitka Pride events and never hesitates to volunteer, help out and make others feel welcome.”

“Her natural talent and willingness to learn are matched by her dedication to teaching others,” Ferrency said. “Through her costume work she helps fellow performers feel confident and fully embody their characters, directly contributing to their success on stage.”

Rita is the daughter of Thor and Jessica Christianson. She has a younger sister, Eir, who is also heavily involved in the arts.

At the awards ceremony in the Father Andrew P. Kashevaroff Building, a display case will feature Rita's work including costumes, paintings and ceramics, and photos of Rita doing circus arts and playing music. On the day after the awards ceremony, Rita has been invited to a reception with legislators and a group sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts, and later to advocate for arts education in legislative offices.

She has applied to college, and hoping to study costume design, and “possibly if time allows dual majoring in, or minor majoring in a scientific field. ... Astrophysics is the one I’m looking at.”