GRANT HILL ART SCHOLARSHIPS AWARDED
Four college students are the first recipients of the Something All Our Own: The Grant Hill Collection of African American Art scholarships.
ORLANDO, FLORIDA, September 1, 2004 – Basketball superstar Grant Hill announced the first recipients of the Something All Our Own scholarship, a $10,000 scholarship program that the Orlando Magic star created in conjunction with his sponsorship of a two-year, seven city exhibit art tour named Something All Our Own: The Grant Hill Collection of African American Art. The scholarships were awarded to four students in the amount of $2,500.00 each to provide educational assistance to college students interested in pursuing a degree in visual arts.
The recipients of the Something All Our Own scholarship include:
§ Erin O’Neal of Oceanside, California, will be attending the University of California, San Diego in the fall. Erin graduated from Vista High School with honors and hopes to “someday make it as an artist and/or computer illustrator for 3-dimensional art animation.”
§ Tenisha Proctor of Rohnert Park, California, will be attending the Academy of Art University in San Francisco. A graduate of Rancho Cotate High School, Tenisha was on the honor roll every year from 6th grade through 12th grade. She wants to pursue “working as an animator, a comic book artist, a freelance illustrator or as a greeting card designer.”
§ Daria Amerik of Chicago, Illinois is an incoming freshman at the School of the Art Institute in Chicago. A graduate of the Whitney Young Magnet High School, Daria won four gold and one silver award in the All City Exhibit 2003 in Chicago. Daria moved to Chicago from Moscow, Russia near the end of 3rd grade and “turned to art as a way to focus my energy and emotions while coping with many personal changes in my life.”
§ Alan Knox of Hillsboro, Tennessee, is an incoming freshman at Union University in Jackson, Tenn. A 4.0 graduate of Coffee County Central High School, Alan is “well aware that digital technology is becoming the paramount avenue in advancing the efficiency of art and design,” and he embraces its opportunity.
Each high school graduate was given $2,500 to aid tuition costs for the 2004-05 school year. All candidates for the scholarship were judged based on their potential and skill, as determined through an application form, a portfolio of 10 completed works and a letter of recommendation from an art teacher or other instructor. Each recipient is required to take at least two art classes a year while enrolled in college and remain in good academic standing with their respective colleges.
“Providing educational opportunity is a gift I want to offer to aspiring artists,” Hill said. “I am hopeful that this scholarship will help encourage these young artists to achieve their dreams and the means to fulfill their promise.”
The Something All Our Own scholarship was created in conjunction with Hill’s two-year, seven-city exhibit art tour named Something All Our Own: The Grant Hill Collection of African American Art. Hill’s personal collection of more than 45 works of art created by renowned African American artists is currently touring the United States. The tour was launched at the Orlando Museum of Art in November 2003, and then made stops at the New Orleans Museum of Art and Texas Southern University Museum in Houston. The remaining exhibition schedule is as follows:
· James E. Lewis Museum of Art (Morgan State University, Baltimore, MD) / Sept. 15-Nov. 30, 2004
· Dallas Museum of Art (Dallas, TX) / December 19, 2004 – April 17, 2005
· Basketball Hall of Fame (Springfield, MA) / June-August, 2005
· Nasher Museum (Duke University, Durham, NC) / March - July, 2006
Viewing art as an enlightening influence in society, Grant enthusiastically believes in making his art available to the public for its education and enjoyment. He regards this exhibition tour as a unique vehicle to educate the general public and inspire our youth.
For more information on the Something All Our Own tour, visit the website at http://granthill.com/ghc/.
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