Wendy Jackson Hall Scholarship: A Guide for Aspiring Visual Artists

The Wendy Jackson Hall Scholarship Program, named after a passionate animator and advocate for the visual arts, aimed to support graduating high school seniors in Washington State pursuing higher education in visual art. Although the committee has decided to close the scholarship after 15 years of fulfilling Wendy's wish, understanding its requirements offers valuable insights for students seeking similar opportunities and provides a framework for crafting competitive scholarship applications.

Understanding the Wendy Jackson Hall Scholarship

This scholarship provided a $15,000 award, distributed over two years, to a student pursuing a visual arts education. The scholarship was a tribute to Wendy Jackson Hall, an animator who dedicated her life to promoting animation and art within the community. After earning her BFA from the Rhode Island School of Design in 1995, Wendy Hall worked for ASIFA Hollywood and Animation World Network. She then relocated to the Seattle area where she helped design and build the Hands-On Animation Laboratory at 911 Media Arts. Wendy taught animation to children and adults at 911 Media and at other locations in Seattle, also serving as an artist in residence in a number of schools in the greater Seattle area.

The scholarship reflected Wendy's values by assisting students passionate about visual arts in achieving their academic goals. Friends, family, and beneficiaries of her work in the visual arts remember her through the assistance of students in pursuit of careers in the visual arts.

Key Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible for the Wendy Jackson Hall Scholarship, applicants had to meet specific criteria:

Graduating High School Senior: Applicants must be graduating high school seniors.
Washington State Residency: Applicants must attend a high school in Washington state, also known as the “Evergreen State”. With over 40 colleges and universities calling the state home, Washington is an education destination.
Academic Performance: A minimum grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or higher was required.
College Enrollment: Applicants must have been accepted or admitted into the art program of an accredited U.S. institution full time and enroll as a full-time student.
Financial Need: Applicants needed to provide evidence of financial need.

The award of the scholarship to eligible applicants was partly based on expression of need, exemplary academic performance, and the possession of passion in the visual arts.

The Application Process: A Two-Step Approach

Applying for the Wendy Jackson Hall Scholarship involved a two-step process:

Online Application Form: The first step was to fill out an online form. This form gathered personal information and included five short essay questions. Because you cannot save your progress until the end of the application, it was recommended to prepare your answers in advance of starting the application form. The application form accepted only simple text, so do not enter html, rtf, or other coded or formatted styles. There were five screens that required input on this application.
Artwork Submission: The application required the selection and submission of five images of the applicant's artwork to the scholarship committee. There are instructions at the end of the form process to guide you how to do this step.

Essay Questions: Showcasing Passion and Vision

The online form included five essay questions designed to assess the applicant's passion for art, their artistic journey, and their future aspirations. Consider preparing your answers to these form questions in text editor, such as Notepad, before applying. You could then copy and paste into the form. The essay questions were:

How has art influenced your life?
Describe a specific experience that helped you know that you want to go to art school.
What career path do you envision for yourself after college?
This application requires you to select and send five images of your artwork to the scholarship committee.
Is there anything else you feel we should know about you in order to give your application our best consideration?

Lessons Learned: Applying for Art Scholarships

While the Wendy Jackson Hall Scholarship is no longer available, the requirements and application process offer valuable insights for students seeking other art scholarships. Here are some key takeaways:

Build a Strong Portfolio: Since you’ll be collecting samples of your best work for art scholarship applications, you should create an online art portfolio for them while you’re at it. (And if/when you get awarded the scholarship of your dreams, remember to add it to your bio!)If you’re specifically applying to scholarships for artists, your portfolio should automatically identify you as an artist, showing off your personal brand. For example, if you’re a photographer, this should be clear.
Highlight Academic Achievements: Maintain a strong GPA and showcase your academic abilities in your application.
Demonstrate Financial Need: Clearly and honestly articulate your financial situation and how the scholarship would alleviate the burden of tuition costs.
Craft Compelling Essays: The essay questions are your opportunity to showcase your personality, passion, and artistic vision. Be thoughtful, authentic, and articulate in your responses.
Tailor Your Application: In addition to the best art scholarships we’ve rounded up below, there are many others geared toward a specific area. Some are only open to students from specific counties, cities, or even high schools. Many youth and community groups also offer scholarships exclusively for their members.There are also plenty of art school scholarships offered to students at specific colleges or universities, and the institution(s) you’re hoping to attend will likely have some available as well. While we’ve made quite an extensive list of the best art scholarships below, art can be very specific and niche. If you have an art specialty, check to see whether there’s a scholarship for it. You’ll likely find looking at a list tailored to you is much less overwhelming and much more approachable. In other words, create this tailored list and figuring out how to get art scholarships won’t feel so difficult or unattainable.

Exploring Other Art Scholarship Opportunities

While the Wendy Jackson Hall Scholarship has concluded, numerous other scholarships are available to support aspiring art students. Here are a few examples across various art disciplines:

General Art Scholarships

These general art-related scholarships are open to students in a wide variety of disciplines, including performing art, visual art, and design.

Specific Art Discipline Scholarships

Dance Scholarships: Caroline H.
Graphic Design Scholarships: Andy and Julie Plata Honorary Scholarship. Deadline: May 1, 2022. Amount: $2,000. Open to students pursuing a career within the document management and graphic communication industry.
Film Scholarships: Francis D. Lyon Scholarship. Deadline: March 1, 2022. Amount: $3,000. This film scholarship is open to undergraduate and graduate students who have completed two full years of college by June 30 of the year the scholarship is being awarded.
Drawing Scholarships: The John F. and Anna Lee Stacey Scholarship Fund. Deadline: February 1, 2022. Amount: $500 to $5,000. Students dedicated to “classical or conservative” painting and drawing may want to apply for this art scholarship.
Animation Scholarships: Mister Rogers Memorial Scholarship. Deadline: TBD. Amount: $5,000. Yep, that Mister Rogers. This scholarship, created in honor of TV personality Fred Rogers, is open to graduate students (Masters or Ph.D), or those about to enter graduate school, who are pursuing a career in children’s media, including animation.
Performing Arts Scholarships: Aiko Susanna Tashiro Hiratsuka Memorial Scholarship. Deadline: March 1, 2021. Amount: Varies. This performing arts scholarship is open to active student/individual members of the Japanese American Citizens League (JACL) studying performing arts.
Fashion Design Scholarships: Two Ten Footwear Design Scholarship. Deadline: January 7, 2022. Amount: Up to $3,000 (renewable). This fashion design scholarship is open to students who are studying design with a focus on footwear. Applicants must be enrolled or be about to enroll in an accredited two- or four-year college, university, or vocational/technical school.
Interior Design Scholarships: ASID Foundation Legacy Scholarships. Deadline: Spring 2021. Amount: $4,000. This interior design scholarship features separate prizes for undergraduate and graduate students. Applicants are asked to submit portfolios and letters of recommendation; the graduate scholarship also requires an essay.
Design Scholarships: Aluminum Extrusion Student Design Competition. Deadline: TBD. Amount: $1,000 to $3,000. Are you a high school, undergraduate, graduate, trade, and technical school student currently enrolled in school and very into aluminum? Applicants must design a product that incorporates at least one extruded aluminum component.

Additional Scholarship Resources:

Robert J: This scholarship targets students interested in pursuing an education and career-related to organic and sustainable farming.
The Seattle Public Library Foundation: The Seattle Public Library Foundation awards this scholarship to winners of their essay competition. The competitive project awards one essayist and one videography who answered the prompt question about the justice systems best.
The Edmund F: High-achieving students living in Western Washington who are going to attend a 4-year private college program might want to take a look at this great opportunity.
Passionate about the civil justice system? Well, then this scholarship is for you.
This scholarship supports low- and middle-income students pursuing a STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) or healthcare degree.
Artists rejoice! This one’s for you. For students with academic achievements and also involved in their school and community, take a look at this scholarship.
Ready to dive headfirst into a degree or diploma in art? While you’re busy filling out college applications, getting your application portfolio looking top-notch, and trying to bump that GPA up just a little higher, don’t forget to apply for a few art scholarships.There are tons of scholarships for art students available from schools, private companies, professional associations, community groups, and even individuals. In addition to the financial reward, having a scholarship or award on your resume can be a nice feather in your cap when pursuing a career in the art world.

Read also: JAX Summer Student Program Guide

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