Congratulations to Sofia Leyba!

2023 ARTsmart Art Changes Lives Scholarship 

ARTsmart will award a scholarship to one outstanding graduating high school senior art student from Santa Fe County to attend up to four years of visual art-related studies at a university or college, including a two-year community college. 

The 2023 Winning Student will receive $5,000 for the first year and $1,500 for three subsequent years. The award will be given directly to the college or university to pay for student’s related expenses like course credits, room, board, books, supplies, and studio fees.  The winner must provide ARTsmart with their student ID number, contact name, and address of the admissions department of the student's chosen school or university.

ARTsmart Art Changes Lives Scholarship Criteria

A completed Application Form must include all of the following:

General Requirements: 

1. Applicants must have completed at least two years of high school in New Mexico.

2. Applicants must be planning to attend a college, university, or community college within one year of graduation to pursue a visual arts-related field of study.

Three written essay statements:

1. In your view, in what way(s) does art change lives? (one paragraph)

2. Select one or more of your submitted pieces and discuss why this artwork is important to you, what you discovered while creating it, and how the creative process impacted you as an artist. (two paragraphs)

3. What art forms, artistic processes, art histories and contemporary issues do you hope to study in college, and how will you use this knowledge to contribute to your community? (two paragraphs)

Portfolio of work:

The portfolio must be 5-8 pieces submitted as digital images. (No actual physical artwork will be accepted, we recommend multiple views of 3D artworks). Images may be submitted in jpeg, gif, png, tiff, and pdf format directly in the application form or emailed separately. Suggested image title format: First Initial, Last Name, Title.jpeg (or other file names).

Copy of high school transcripts.

Proof of acceptance from the college/university the applicant will be attending (if not sure yet, list the schools the applicant has applied to).

Letters of recommendation from a teacher/instructor plus one other adult or teacher/instructor.

Applications, including all supporting materials,  must be submitted to ARTsmart by Friday, May 12, 2023. 

Submit your complete application electronically via our online application (recommended method) or to smandala@artsmartnm.org. All student applicants will be notified by email by May 19, 2023.