For 28 years, the
Lansing Art Gallery’s Art Scholarship Alert program has been helping young art students pursue their dream one scholarship award at a time. All of that aid has been adding up, and now, as the program approaches its third decade, it’s also approaching another milestone: $100,000 awarded to area art students.
“Art Scholarship Alert gives recognition and financial assistance to outstanding art students, encourages artistic growth and provides an opportunity to participate as an artist in a professional setting,” says Catherine Babcock, Executive Director of the Lansing Art Gallery. “Young artists learn commitment to a goal and gain self-confidence as they aspire to artistic excellence.”
The program began in 1985, when a group of art teachers from the Lansing area determined there was a need to recognize student artwork in a community exhibition. The Art Scholarship Alert is open to students in grades nine through 12.
Including 2012 applicants, 28,705 students have entered the Art Scholarship Alert. The Lansing Art Gallery gives away an average of $3,600 in scholarships each year, which are supported by area businesses, organizations and individuals. According to Babcock, though receiving a scholarship is central to the program, every student who has participates benefits.
“Lansing Art Gallery Board and Staff understand that arts education has measurable impact on youth,” Babcock says. Participation in the arts can increase the overall academic performance while also deterring delinquent behavior, truancy and drop-outs.”
Art Scholarship Alert is sponsored in part by the National Endowment for the Arts, Michigan Council for Arts & Cultural Affairs, Ingham County, and the Arts Council of Greater Lansing.
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