Visual Art Incoming Freshmen Scholarship Competition
2024-25 Art Scholarship Competition
West Liberty University’s Department of Media and Visual Arts, Division of Art announces the availability of a four-year scholarship for a graduating high school senior who wishes to major in art, art education, graphic design, or digital media at West Liberty University. The competition is open to all graduating seniors and is not limited to residents of West Virginia. Applicants must have applied for admittance to WLU.
Students must submit a portfolio of at least eight (8) pieces of original artwork. As determined by the art faculty, the winner will receive a four-year renewable art scholarship and a Housing Grant to study art, art education, graphic design, or digital media at West Liberty University. Housing grants cover at least 80% of the total room cost and pay nothing to the 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 30, 2023 and December 1, 2023. Portfolios sent by email must be received by December 1st by 6 p.m., 2023. Digital portfolios will be emailed to Prof. Martyna Matusiak, martyna.matusiak@westliberty.edu
- Faculty judging will take place on December 4th.
- Finalists will be notified by the end of the workday on December 5th and must be available for online Zoom interviews during the afternoon/evening of December 7th or December 8th, 2023.
- The decision of the judges will be announced by December 13th, 2023.
Please direct any questions to Professor Martyna Matusiak, Professor of Art, Department of Media and Visual Arts, West Liberty University, by emailing to martyna.matusiak@westliberty.edu
Scholarship
A WLU four-year scholarship equals approximately $3,200 per year for an in-state student or $ 4,000 per year for an out-of-state student. The value of the WLU Housing Grant is approximately $4,000 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.
- Include only good-quality documentation of your artwork ( proper lighting, cropping, and color balance).
- 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 presentations created in PowerPoint, Keynote, or similar programs.
- Slides should be simple and clean with needed information about the work only; next to each image, list the artist’s name, image title, medium, and size.
- Do not include torn or poorly cared-for artwork.
- 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.
- The inclusion of a sketchbook is helpful for the jurors to see artistic potential.
