The Arts Advocates’ scholarship program, which has awarded over $1,000,000 to students since 1969 is now acceptiong applications through March 15, 2023 for the 2023-2024 academic year. The tuition awards are given to talented students in Florida who are pursuing undergraduate studies in the arts, including visual and related arts, dance, writing, music, theater, and architecture. High school seniors and college students who will major in these fields in the 2023-2024 school year are eligible to apply. The award also includes a one year membership in Arts Advocates.

The scholarships are awarded to students planning to have careers in the arts, and are based on artistic talent, family need, character, academic achievement, and appropriate college choice. U.S. citizenship with a one-year residency in Sarasota County or Manatee County is required.

In May of 2022, ten lucky Sarasota and Manatee county students were awarded scholarships totaling $20,000 for the 2022-2023 school year. The recipients, Sophia Coscia, Thaleia Dasberg, Lillian Fox, Pablo Gonzalez, Azure Heck, Colin Leonard, Emma Pritchett, John Quigley, Luca Stine and Katherina Zdravkov, were celebrated during the Arts Advocates general meeting luncheon in May where several gave presentations or performed.

"It wasn't until I moved away from Sarasota that I realized how fortunate I was to grow up in a community that focused on the arts and gave opportunities for children to learn and participate," shares Adelaide Boedecker, an opera singer and scholarship recipient from previous years. "Those programs are the foundation that my career is built upon and to be able to complete my education without the tremendous debt of student loans is a wonderful gift that you have given me."

Arts Advocates is a nonprofit, philanthropic membership organization dedicated to inspiring creativity, advancing education, and connecting the community to the arts. They do this through sponsoring creative educational and cultural programs, and awarding scholarships to students pursuing careers in the arts. All scholarship monies are generated through Arts Advocates activities and donations.

For more information about the scholarship program, including the application, visit visit artsadvocates.org.