In addition to the Art Scholarship Alert portfolio competition, students at the Senior level and students 18+ who participate in the Young Adult SE Program level may apply for the Sara Jane Venable Scholarship.

Lansing Art Gallery and Education Center, through its Art Scholarship Alert Program, has created this scholarship in recognition of Sara Jane Venable's tremendous contribution to art education in the Greater Lansing Area and to her leadership in statewide art organizations. The purpose of this scholarship is to support deserving student artists in their pursuit of higher education in the visual arts. A stipend of $1,000 will be given to an accredited institution of the recipient's choice for tuition assistance.

Seniors may apply to both Art Scholarship Alert and the Sara Jane Venable Scholarship. You must complete both applications, separately.

ENTRY GUIDELINES:

To be eligible for the Sara Jane Venable Scholarship the student must:

• Be a high school Senior or student 18+ who participates in the Young Adult SE Program, living or attending school in the mid-Michigan counties of Ingham, Clinton, Eaton, Ionia, Shiawassee, Barry, Livingston, Calhoun, and Jackson. 
• Be going on to higher education in the visual arts field at an accredited school within one year of high school graduation. 
• Have also applied to Art Scholarship Alert.
• ARTWORK GUIDELINES:
  All original artwork including drawing, painting, sculpture, ceramics, prints, photography, digital/computer-based works, jewelry, and textiles are accepted. Collaborative work is not accepted. No work may be copied from published photographs or other artwork. Entries must not exceed 24 inches in any direction.
  PORTFOLIO: Your portfolio must include a total of ten (10) works of art including: 
• five (5) works created in the last two years that have NOT been previously exhibited in Art Scholarship Alert. 
• five (5) works created in the last four years. These images can include artwork that HAS been previously exhibited in ASA. 
• Portfolio images should be in JPEG format. Each image file size should not exceed 1MB.  Images should be in color. 

ESSAY: Please upload a one-page typed essay, titled "What the Arts Mean to Me", that will assist the panel of jurors in their selection process. The emphasis of the essay should be on your involvement in the arts and what it means to you. This essay should also include your educational and career interests as well as insight into your ideas and execution of your artwork.

LIST OF RELATED ART ACTIVITIES: Please list all art classes and related art activities in which you have participated during your school career, which colleges and universities you have applied to, which you have been accepted to, which school you plan to attend, and when you will begin your major.

Entries must be submitted below by midnight on February 1, 2024.

JURY PROCESS: The panel of jurors will review the portfolio, essay, and related art activities. However, the majority of weight will be given to the quality, consistency, and depth of the five works created in the past two years. The Sara Jane Venable Award winner will be notified by February February 14, 2024.

ACCEPTED ARTWORK: The Sara Jane Venable recipient will have 5 works on display in the Art Scholarship Exhibit. These works must be delivered to the Gallery, by appointment on February 23 - 24 (11 AM – 3 PM) and may not be withdrawn before the close of the exhibit on March 30.

Accepted two-dimensional work must be either matted with a WHITE or BLACK professional quality mat board (with a full-size foam core, mat board, or cardboard backing) OR dry mounted. Do not attach wires or any other framing hardware to unframed artwork. Framing is optional. Stretched canvases should have neat, secure edges and must have an attached wire for hanging. Pastels or charcoals must be sprayed and/or covered with plastic or acetate. Do not laminate. Each work must have a title card attached to the back.

ART SCHOLARSHIP ALERT EXHIBIT: February 28 - March 30, 2024, at Lansing Art Gallery and Education Center.
RECEPTION AND AWARDS CEREMONY: The Sara Jane Venable recipient will receive special recognition at the awards ceremony on March 14, 2024.
ARTWORK PICK UP: Artwork must be picked up on April 3 - 6, by appointment (11 AM – 3 PM)  Any work not picked up by April 30, 2024, will become the property of Lansing Art Gallery and Education Center.
CONDITIONS: Lansing Art Gallery and Education Center takes the utmost care while handling and storing artwork, but cannot be responsible for loss or damage from any cause, whatsoever. Permission to photograph accepted artwork and/or the students with his/her artwork and to use the student’s full name for publicity and fund-raising purposes shall be understood to be granted unless specifically denied in writing. Applicants under the age of 18 must have a parent/guardian’s consent to apply for Sara Jane Venable Scholarship.