The Talbot County Arts Council has announced its nineteenth annual program of summer arts scholarships for Talbot County residents now enrolled in the 9th, 10th, 11th, or 12th grades. The program provides grants for advanced art studies during Summer 2018 to students with outstanding artistic promise. It is named in honor of the late Willard A. Lockwood, longtime president of the Arts Council, under whose guidance it was developed.
There is no specific dollar limit to individual grant requests, but the amount asked of the Arts Council must be matched dollar-for-dollar by funds from other sources. For example, if a program costs $1,000, no more than $500 may be requested from the Arts Council. The $3,000 that is available for summer arts scholarships this year was provide by grants from Talbot County and the Towns of Easton, Oxford, and St. Michaels.
Programs that qualify in the visual, musical, performing, or literary arts include summer art camps, music camps, and writing workshops, as well as other group or private programs or lessons in art, music, and writing. Contact the Arts Council with questions on program eligibility.
Applications must be submitted electronically to the Arts Council by April 30, 2018 and selection decisions will be announced in late May. Scholarships are talent-based, not need-based, so no family financial information is required— although a letter may be included from parent or guardian indicating any special considerations. Applications must be co-signed by student and parent or guardian; include one supporting letter from an arts educator knowledgeable of the candidate’s artistic history, ability, and potential; as well as an example of the student’s work in electronic form.
Last year’s seven scholarship winners were Haley Anderson of Easton, now a senior at Easton HS, to attend the Musical Theatre Summer Stock Intensive of the Clear Space Theatre Company in Rehoboth Beach; Emily Wittman of Easton, a senior at Easton HS, to attend the Classical Singers Workshop of Peabody Institute at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore; Laurie Alltop of Easton, a junior at Easton HS, to attend the Music for All Summer Symposium at Ball State University in Indiana; Katelynn Cherry of Trappe, a junior at St. Michaels HS, to attend the Young Artists Vocal Program of Tanglewood Institute at Boston University; Jessica Meadows of Easton, a junior at Easton HS, to study voice at the Vocal Studio of Gail Aveson near Easton; Katherine Kilbourn of Easton, a sophomore at Easton HS, to attend the Alabama Summer Intensive of the American Ballet Theatre; and Seth Wagner of St. Michaels, a sophomore at Easton HS, to study voice at the Vocal Studio of Kevin Thomas in Easton.
For further information on the scholarship program, including application materials, contact Gerry Early, executive director, Talbot County Arts Council, P.O. Box 6, Easton, MD 21601 (office phone 410-310-9812/e-mail gearly@talbotarts.org).