Top 104 Art Scholarships in December 2023

Discover the Carl’s Music Matters Scholarship, an opportunity for high school seniors to pursue their passion for music. Ludwig van Beethoven once said, “Music is a higher revelation than all wisdom and philosophy,” and Carl Adams, who sponsors the scholarship, couldn’t agree more. He believes that music has the power to make the world a better place and we want to support aspiring musicians in achieving their creative goals. If you’re a high school senior with a love for music, apply now and share your musical journey with him. Detail the instruments you’ve played, the extracurricular activities you’ve participated in, and your future goals as a professional musician. You can even add video footage displaying your music. Don’t let your musical dreams go unheard – apply for the Carl’s Music Matters Scholarship today.

Are you a current or incoming college student planning to major in design, marketing, art, film, communications, or another creative field? If so, consider applying for the Gucci Changemakers North America Scholarship! The scholarship is open to diverse students pursuing an undergraduate degree in a creative field. The scholarship is offered by the leading Italian fashion brand Gucci in order to increase inclusion and diversity within the fashion industry as well as across communities and cities. Since March 2019, the fund has aimed to support and empower a new era of diverse artists looking to gain experiences across the fashion industry. Each year, recipients earn up to $20,000 to help pay for tuition, educational expenses, as well as room and board costs. If you are passionate about a career in design, art, or other creative areas and are looking for some help with college expenses, we encourage you to apply!

Are you a K-12 student who has created a significant piece of work in the field of STEM, literature, music, or philosophy? The Davidson Institute Fellows Scholarship may be a good fit for you! The Davidson Institute Fellows Scholarship is a life-changing $50,000 scholarship opportunity for any student in the United States who is under 18. Scholarships are awarded on the basis of significant work. This means any work or accomplishment that experts in the field recognize as meaningful and has the potential to make a positive contribution to society. This typically comes in the form of a project completed by the student(s). That’s right, student(s)! You can apply to the Davidson Institute Fellows Scholarship in a group of two! There are also multiple scholarship categories you can choose to apply within, including Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, Literature, Music, Philosophy, and Outside of the Box. 

Are you an exceptional and motivated college junior who hopes to complete a graduate degree in the Arts, Humanities, or Social Sciences? If so, consider applying for the Beinecke Scholarship Program! The scholarship is funded by The Sperry and Hutchinson Company, an organization led by the Beinecke brothers who shared a deep affection and interest in leading a company that set the pace for corporate philanthropy. To honor Edwin, Frederick, and Walter Beinecke, the board of Directors of The Sperry and Hutchinson Company created this scholarship in 1971 to provide financial support and to encourage exceptional young students to pursue opportunities available to them in the field of arts, humanities, and the social sciences. Each chosen scholar will receive $5,000 immediately prior to entering graduate school and an additional $30,000 while attending graduate school. If you’re passionate about completing a graduate degree in the arts or social sciences and are looking for some help to fund your graduate study, we encourage you to apply!

Are you over 14 years of age, enrolled in high school or college, and enjoy making original artwork? If so, the Create-A-Greeting-Card Scholarship Contest may be the perfect opportunity for you! Each year, the contest awards $10,000 to the applicant who submits the best holiday, greeting, or all-around holiday card. While the top ten finalists will be decided by a public vote, the final winner will be decided by a panel of judges. The contest is offered by The Gallery Collection, the “leading business-to-business online and mail order publisher of premium quality personalized Christmas, Holiday, and Everyday greeting cards in the United States.” If you’re a student aged 14 or older who wants to put their card-making skills to the test, we encourage you to apply!

Are you an undergraduate or graduate student excited about your future? Consider applying for the Frame My Future scholarship! The Frame my Future scholarship awards up to $6,000 to multiple students each year who submit visual representations of what their future will look like. In addition to their artwork, applicants must submit an essay (500 words or less) in which they explain the meaning of their piece. If you’d like to create your own future (in art/visual form), we encourage you to apply! This is a great opportunity to imagine your future while setting up for it, too.

Easy scholarship open to all high school and college students, as well as anyone looking to attend college or graduate school in the next year. Niche is giving one student $50,000 to help pay for tuition, housing, books and other college expenses — no essay required!

Sallie Mae will award $2,000 each month to eligible entrants. No essay or account sign-ups, just a simple scholarship for those seeking help paying for school.

Open to high school students, college students, community college students, and graduate students.

Are you a high school student interested in making art? If so, consider applying for the Young American Creative Patriotic Art Contest! The contest is open to students grades 9-12 who submit a two-dimensional art piece depicting patriotism. This scholarship is offered by VFW (Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States) Auxiliary, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing services for veterans and honoring them and their families. They started the contest in 1979 to encourage patriotism in youths and recognize their artistry. Every year, the scholarship offers multiple awards totaling $34,000 to the first-place winners from each state. If you want to make art about patriotism and are looking for a scholarship opportunity, we encourage you to apply!

Are you an 11 - 18 year old who has a passion for saving the environment and/or the ocean? Additionally, would you like to make a statement about the impact of climate change through writing, artwork, or even dance? You might consider applying for the Ocean Awareness Art Contest! Dedicated to encouraging the next generation to get involved in ocean conservation (and environmentalism as a whole), the contest asks its applicants to create a piece of artwork that reflects an impact/aspect of the current environmental crisis and its effect on the ocean. Each year has a specific theme to focus on, with this year being climate change. If you would like to make a statement about climate change’s impact on the ocean through art, we encourage you to apply!

The Jazz at the Ballroom Scholarship is funded by Jazz at the Ballroom, an organization that is committed to keeping swinging, classic jazz thriving, and creating an environment where every guest feels at home and each artist can share their stories, passion, and talent. Every year, their Jazz at the Ballroom Scholarship awards $1,000 to three high school jazz instrumentalists attending a California high school. If this scholarship sounds like a fit for you, keep on reading for more application details.

Are you an artistically driven individual who uses art to creatively benefit your community? If so, consider applying for the Trevor Coopersmith Urban Art Scholarship! The Trevor Coopersmith Urban Art Scholarship is open to all artistically driven individuals who utilize their art to creatively benefit their communities. The scholarship is funded by Trevor Coopersmith, a young artist and University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) graduate dedicated to helping out his community however he can. During college, Trevor worked four jobs in order to graduate debt-free without any financial support. Thus, he realized his dream was to help others by donating all his works and creating art for his community. Every year, his Urban Art Scholarship awards $350 to help one (1) lucky artist pursue their dreams. If you’re passionate about having a career in arts and are looking for some help to pay off your degree, we encourage you to apply!

Are you a post-secondary student with a passion for photojournalism? If so, consider applying for the International Documentary Photography Scholarship! The International Documentary Photography Scholarship is open to undergraduate and graduate students who use photography to bring attention to social issues. The scholarship is funded by Anchell Photography, Inc., an organization established by the award-winning photographer, Steve Anchell. Steve Anchell is a passionate photojournalist and photographer whose works have been exhibited in galleries and private collections around the world. To support young photographers pursuing socially conscious photography, Steve's "International Documentary Photography Scholarship" offers $1,000 to one talented applicant each year. Selection is based on students' submissions and demonstrated interest/involvement in using photography to document a person, group of people, place, event, or happening of social or personal importance. If you’re passionate about photography and are looking for some help to pay off your degree, we encourage you to apply!

Are you a K-12, art and nature-loving student who lives within a 75-mile radius of the National Bird Dog Museum in Grand Junction, Tennessee? If so, we may have the perfect opportunity for you: the Bird Dog Foundation Annual Youth Art Contest! Each year, the scholarship awards up to $2,000 to applicants who submit the best art depicting wildlife and related themes such as nature conservation. The contest is hosted by The National Bird Dog Museum in Grand Junction, Tennessee, which is “dedicated to the preservation and perpetuation of bird dog, field trial, and hunting traditions.” If you live within a 75-mile radius of Grand Junction, Tennessee, and want to put your artistic talents to good use, we encourage you to apply!

The Arts Graduate Scholarship encourages and recognizes Alberta students who have demonstrated outstanding abilities in the arts to pursue graduate studies in Alberta institutions and other institutions outside Alberta. Students must be studying music, drama, dance, and literacy/visual arts to apply. Applicants must also be residents of Alberta, Canada themselves, or through their parents. If you're an Alberta resident and graduate student with a passion for the arts, we encourage you to apply!

The Lantos Activist Artist Scholarship recognizes and supports the work of activist artists in New Hampshire who tell human rights stories in unique, inspiring, and significant ways. Applicants are challenged to examine the influence of a particular activist artist or create their own piece of activist art. Acceptable forms of media include film, writing, theater, dance, music, painting, poetry, and drawing.  While two runners-up will be awarded $2,500 each, two first-place winners will be granted $5,000 each. If you're an artist from New Hampshire passionate about expressing raw emotions that can provoke attention and action on human rights crises, we encourage you to apply!

The John F. and Anna Lee Stacey Scholarship Fund is a fantastic opportunity for US citizens aged 18-35 who are aspiring artists looking to further their education. With award amounts ranging from $500 to $5,000 per recipient, this scholarship requires applicants to outline their ambitions and submit up to 6 examples of their paintings or drawings for judging. Categories include painting from life, drawing from the figure, composition, landscape, or any other examples you think are advisable. Don't worry about submitting something from each category - just submit your best or favorite personal work! The scholarship cycle runs from November 1 to February 1 each year, so don't miss out on this incredible opportunity.