Visual Art Incoming Freshmen Scholarship Competition 

2021-22 Art Scholarship Competition

West Liberty University’s Division of Art announces the availability of a four-year scholarship for a graduating high school senior who wishes to major in art at West Liberty University. The competition is open to all graduating seniors, and is not limited to residents of West Virginia. Applicants must have submitted an application for admittance to WLU.

Students must submit a portfolio of at least six pieces of original work. The winner, as determined by the art faculty, will receive a four-year renewable art scholarship and a Housing Grant to study art at West Liberty University. Housing grants cover at least 80% of the total room cost only, and pay nothing toward board. Second and third place awards of tuition scholarships and housing waivers may be granted if available and appropriate.

SCHEDULE

• Portfolios will be accepted digitally between November 29th and November 30th, 2021. Portfolios sent by email must be received by November 30th by 6pm. Digital portfolios will be emailed to martyna.matusiak@westliberty.edu
• Faculty judging will take place on December 1st.
• Finalists will be notified by the end of the workday on December 2nd and must be available for a personal, on-campus or online interview during the afternoon of December 7th.
• The decision of the judges will be announced by December 10th.

Please direct any questions to Associate Professor Martyna Matusiak, Interim Chair, Department of Media and Visual Arts, West Liberty University, by Emailing to martyna.matusiak@westliberty.edu

SCHOLARSHIP

A WLU four-year scholarship equals approximately $3200 per year for an in-state student or $4000 per year for an out-of-state student. The value of the WLU Housing Grant is approximately worth $3200 per year. Award amounts are subject to change.

PORTFOLIOS

• Presentation of the portfolio is very important, consider this just like a personal interview.
• All works submitted must be clearly labeled with the artist’s name, telephone number and email address.
• Digital portfolios can be submitted by email for the first round of judging. Face to face interviews or online interviews, will be required of all finalists. Digital portfolios should be presented as PDF slide presentations created in PowerPoint, Keynote or similar presentation program.
• Slides should be simple and clean with needed information about the work only. Next to each image list artists name, image title, medium and size.
• Do not include torn or poorly cared for work.
• Include your best and most recent work. Ask for the opinions of teachers, parents and friends. The jurors are looking at the quality of the work and not the quantity of work submitted. Unfinished work that shows the potential of the idea is acceptable.
• Inclusion of a sketchbook is helpful for the jurors to see artistic potential.