SCA MEMORIAL EDUCATION FUND
About
SCA’s Memorial Education Fund provides grants for motivated emerging young artists under the age of 21, to explore their artistic potential beyond the everyday classroom setting. The cash award helps defray the costs of a student’s self-designed artistic goal, and dovetails with the overarching mission of SCA, Inc. by creating opportunities for discovery, self-expression, and appreciation of the arts.
SCA’s Memorial Fund for Education was established in 2014 as part of SCA’s ongoing educational mission. Since its creation, the fund has grown and been sustained by generous gifts from many individuals. The initial funding was given in memory of Poole Barker, a young exhibiting member of SCA, who came from a family of artists and creators, and was a dedicated artist in her own right. We hope that Poole’s spirit of creativity, joy and exploration will live on in these education grants.
Applications
We invite emerging young artists who are current students ages 16-21 living or studying in Bristol County, Massachusetts, or Newport County, Rhode Island, to apply for the Youth Grant between June 1 and January 15 of each year.
Thanks to the generous contributions of SCA supporters of the SCA Youth Grant, we are pleased to announce our 2025 Grant amount will be $2,000. We encourage SCA members to spread the word to eligible students, teachers and educators, so our grant will have the best impact on young artistic members of our communities. To learn more, contact us at grants@southcoastartists.org.
2024 Youth Grant Recipient
Cassie Taber, 2024 Grant Recipient
We are pleased to announce South Coast Artists’ 2024 Youth Grant recipient Cassie Taber, a resident of Tiverton, RI. As a college sophomore, Cassie majors in studio art and uses her art as a tool for helping others deal with mental health. Cassie states that her project, “ ‘Bridging Dimensions’ would be a series that utilizes my skills as both a painter and printmaker to develop intricate surface designs that elevate simple forms.” In addition, she has plans to set up her own studio/business. The support from the South Coast Artist Grant will play a crucial role in helping Cassie achieve her vision and support her artistic journey. In addition to receiving a grant of $1000, Ms. Taber also has a one-year membership to SCA and is welcome to participate in the 2025 SCA Invitational Exhibition.
Award of Merit
This year two worthy SCA Youth Grant applicants were selected to receive Awards of Merit. Isabella Carinci a student at the University of Massachusetts/Dartmouth received an Award of Merit for her proposal, “Suburban Sketches: An Exploration of Connection”. Alexandria Cousineau, a resident of Acushnet, MA has been selected to receive an Award of Merit for her proposal, “Sharing a Visage of the World”. Both emerging artists are granted $250 and one-year membership to SCA and invited to participate in the 2025 SCA Invitational Exhibition.
Sketch by Isabella Carinci, Winner 2024 $500 Award of Merit
Sketch by Alexandria Cousineau, Winner 2024 $500 Award of Merit
2023 Youth Grant Recipient
Fiona Marques, 2023 Grant Recipient
Sketch by Jonathan Colombo, Winner 2023 $500 Award of Merit
We are pleased to announce South Coast Artists' 2023 Youth Grant recipient Fiona Marques, a student at University of Mass Dartmouth. Her most recent project, Dēcidere Danger, aims to expand upon the artistic narrative she has developed. It specifically dives into her own story of perseverance, determination, and rebirth. The physical goal of this project is to create multiple distinct steel "figures" hovering over a fragile feminine form, symbolizing how she perceives the dangers and trauma from her past. The support from the South Coast Artist's Youth Grant will play a crucial role in achieving this artistic vision by directly funding her steel purchases, propelling her further along her journey as an artist.
Award of Merit
With so many worthy applicants for this year's SCA Youth Grant, the judges decided to create an Award of Merit for Jonathan Colombo. Jonathan is a student at the Community College of Rhode Island. His application showed evidence of hard work, and demonstrations of great artistic talent and expression. We hope this award of $500 assists him in continuing down his path of artistic development."
Previous Winners
2022: Jackson Palumbo, Tiverton, RI Palumbo, a student at Tiverton High School. Jackson’s proposed project is titled: Analog Film Exploration. Jackson is intrigued by the medium of film, as it constantly pushes him past the boundaries of what he knows about photography. With the money from the grant he intends to experiment with a number of different film stocks, attend a darkroom workshop at Boston University, and potentially invest in the materials to develop his own film.
2021: Madeline Peach, Dartmouth, MA Madeline’s proposed project is titled: Understanding and Confronting Historical Ideas of the Body in Painting. The grant funds will allow her to “more deeply explore figurative works throughout history and contemporary art.” She will be conducting research through trips to galleries and major art museums in New York City. It will also provide funds for books, paint and other materials to produce a body of work relating to her research.
2020: Meghan Camarao, Dartmouth, MA
Meghan is the second student from Dartmouth to win this competitive award. She will use the grant to purchase software and attend a RISD class on animation, so she will have the tools to execute an animation series featuring her work on world building. This will help prepare her for her intended career path and aid in preparing her portfolio.
2019: Morgan D’Amaral, Westport, MA
Westport High School student, Morgan D’Amaral, is the first student from Westport to win this competitive award. She will use the grant to purchase materials and equipment that will help her delve more deeply into creating characters for storylines. This will help prepare her for her intended career path in illustration, story development, and graphic novels.
2018: Michele Sherman, Dartmouth, MA
Dartmouth High School senior, Michele Sherman, is the 2018 winner of its Youth Grant. Michele is an exceptional art student, who is busily preparing her college portfolio, while completing her second advanced placement art class. She will use the grant to purchase materials and equipment that will help her delve more deeply into the study of color. This will help prepare her for her intended career path in digital design and animation. As a grant winner, Michele will also be invited to exhibit one of her works in the South Coast Artists Spring Invitational to be held at Gallery at Four in Tiverton Four Corners.
2017: Jacob Wood, Tiverton, RI
Tiverton student-photographer Jacob Wood, the 2017 recipient of an SCA Youth Artist Grant, will use the grant to learn more about his craft by working with Boston-based photographer and fine arts printmaker, William Morse. Jacob will receive individualized Photoshop and light room training as well as printer and computer training to take his work to the next level. Jacob is looking toward a career in art photography and hope to prepare for a solo exhibition of his work.
2016: Sebastian Vieira, Tiverton, RI
Tiverton student-artist Sebastian Vieira, the 2016 recipient of an SCA Youth Artist Grant, is pursuing both the art and science of creating objects on a 3-D printer. As a junior at the East Bay MET, Sebastian’s interest was sparked when he learned how to use 3-D printer software to create attachments for a commercially designed prosthetic hand. His SCA grant helped cover the cost of a summer course in Three-Dimensional Design at RISD. Sebastian is looking toward a career in sculpture, architecture, industrial or environmental design.
2015: Maxwell Peckham, Little Compton RI
SCA launched its Youth Artist Grants Program in 2015 with an award to Maxwell Peckham of Little Compton, RI. While in high school, Maxwell began experimenting with metals, smelting and casting processes, by melting down lead sinkers and roof flashings. As his interest developed, he decided to seek training from a master Blacksmith in Mississippi. During his intensive one-on-one seminar, Max learned how to forge his own tools by hand, using traditional techniques to create useful and also beautiful objects. Max’s grant helped to fund his trip.
Funding
We gratefully acknowledge generous gifts
to the South Coast Artists Memorial Education Fund:
In Memory of Poole Barker:
Rachel and Nathaniel Barker
Nina Barker Brogna
Susan Barker
Gertler Clark Foundation
In Memory of Barbara Hawes:
Bill and Susan Barker -
Jane Gordon Brayton
Henry Drinker
The Friday Club
Tracy and Peter Greenwood
Susan Nelson
Deborah Robbins
Bud Schultz and Elaine Cosse Boom
Anne Snyder
Anne Squire
Joseph & Amy Versaggi
Elizabeth Waring
Susan and Keith Watson
Alfred N. Watson Family Foundation
Nancy Whitin
Gordon and Kristine Wisbach
In Memory of Pamela Lovell:
Maurice Lovell
If you would like to contribute in honor or memory of a loved one, you may donate online or send a check made out to “South Coast Artists” to SCA, PO Box 3716 Westport, MA 02790. Please write “Memorial Education Fund” in the memo.