Highlighting a scholarship winner!

DeSerres “Adopt-An-Art-Student Scholarship” Winner 2015: Yvonne Lefebvre

 

Fall Scholarship season is just around the corner! Are you ready? Have you chosen which of your art pieces to submit? Have you written your artist statements? Thanks to generous donors and supporters like Wallacks Art Supplies, David & Nicole Henderson, The Ottawa Mixed Media Artist, the Ottawa Arts Association and so many more, the Ottawa School of Art is able to provide students with the financial help they need and deserve. Let’s take a look back and highlight one of our scholarship winners!

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The DeSerres Adopt-An-Art-Student Scholarship came to the Ottawa School of Art (OSA) in the fall of 2015. It mirrors an older scholarship that OSA offered in the early 1990s with DeSerres and Loomis & Toles. The Ottawa School of Art, as a registered charitable organization, relies on and appreciates the financial support of its donors. We are very happy to share with you the experience of last year’s winner, then a first year student, Yvonne Lefebvre. Yvonne applied for this scholarship with 5 original works of art, her artist statement and her case for financial support. She won $1200 to put towards her tuition and $400 in DeSerres gift cards. Here she shares a few words about her experience as the newest winner of this scholarship:

“Making the choice to follow a passion for art can be financially stressful. Winning the Deserres Adopt-an-art-student scholarship has helped to alleviate a lot of this stress by paying for a large portion of my tuition and materials costs. I was flattered to be chosen as the winner for this scholarship and it boosted my confidence as a beginning artist. My artwork was hung in the store for almost a year, which provided great exposure. I even managed to sell a couple of the pieces displayed.

The employees at Deserres made my experience all the more enriching. The staff feedback on my paintings helped to further my skills. Specifically, I learned how to make my work look more finished and professional by varnishing the pieces. Someone was always available to answer questions about working with different materials and applying different techniques. The staff also recommended different businesses that support emerging artists. I was able to get even more exposure by hanging several pieces in a local café. I learned tips for turning my hobby into a business through the creation of a website and business cards. The connections with staff will continue to help me develop my skills as an artist.

Winning this scholarship made me take myself more seriously as an emerging artist. It gave me the confidence to consider my art as more than a hobby. As a student in visual art, it can be difficult to maintain a focus on art related goals. If I hadn’t won this scholarship, I don’t think I would be as confident in pursuing my passion for art. It is difficult to express how truly grateful I am for the opportunities that have arisen as a result of winning this award, and I look forward to seeing what the future holds for me as an artist.”

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Thank you Yvonne for sharing this! The Ottawa School of Art is proud to have you in our Fine Arts Diploma Program and we are excited to watch your artistic career grow and flourish. Thank you to DeSerres for their continual support of the Ottawa School of Art. Special thank you to DeSerres St. Laurent Store Manager Thomas Baribault and your wonderful staff for your patience, your care and commitment to our students. We hope to continue this long lasting friendship.

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There are many scholarships to apply for this fall 2016. These include:

 

  • Lillian Raport Memorial Fund Scholarship -Open to all Fine Arts Diploma students and Portfolio Development students.
  • Ottawa Mixed Media Artists Scholarship (valued at $175) Open to all Fine Arts Diploma students.
  • Lee Matasi Memorial Scholarship (valued at $1000) open to all First year students.
  • The Ted Marshall Memorial Scholarship (two valued at $900) open to all general program students, Fine Arts Diploma Students and Portfolio Development students.
  • **New** Sheila Durno Memorial Scholarship (value $200) Open to all general program students, Fine Arts Diploma Students and Portfolio Development students.
  • **New** Fritz Allgoewer Memorial Scholarship (two valued at $250) Open to 2 full-time students (1 second year and 1 third year student) of the Fine Arts Diploma Program, demonstrating financial need.

 

Be sure to have your artwork, your artist statement and your case for support ready! And remember, you have nothing to lose! Rejection is a part of life, and a part of an artists’ life. You will never know what you can gain if you don’t try! Reflect on Yvonne’s story and try your best! There are so many opportunities that await you, so be sure to apply to these many wonderful scholarships. These donors and supports have made them a possibility because they care and believe in you! The Ottawa School of Art can’t wait to see what is submitted to this Fall’s round of scholarships and will announce the winners in late November. Good luck everyone!

 

If you have any questions about any of our scholarships or how you can donate, please contact Malika Welsh, Development & Fundraising Coordinator, development@artottawa.ca 613-241-7471 ext. 31.