THE VISION OF THE ARTS FUND
was established in 2015 as a home for the Gospel Vision of the Arts
Auction, which provides scholarships and opportunities for LDS artists.
The auction was inspired by a speech from Latter-day Saint President
Spencer W. Kimball, who envisioned grand works of art based on gospel
themes. Our goal is to contribute to the fulfillment of Kimball's
vision. Below are our current opportunities for contemporary artists to apply for funding.
“You may be only one little lamp with a light, but if there are enough of us letting our lights shine, we’ll light up the universe.”
⁃ James C. Christensen
When asked which painting was his favorite, James would reply, ”the next one.” He spent his life striving for excellence, in skill and in being. James was renowned for his artworks, and he is also remembered by many for his encouragement as a teacher and mentor. He believed in the importance of sharing his knowledge and resources.
The James C. Christensen scholarship is awarded to an artist who:
-seeks truth and excellence.
-strives to share her or his light and spiritual strength with others.
-shares a positive message.
-makes skill based artwork.
-demonstrates the beginning of a unique voice.
APPLICANT QUALIFICATIONS:
1. Applicants must be members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
2. Applicants must be visual artists. “Visual art” is defined as hand-made objects, including painting, drawing, sculpture, printmaking, installation, or other processes which are not strictly digital or electronic; excluding photography, digital painting/drawing, video, sound, performance art, temporary or ephemeral art. Work that combines the hand-made with the digital may be considered. If a question arises about whether or not a particular artist’s work qualifies as “Visual Art” for the purposes of this scholarship, the determination will be made by the Board of Directors.
3. Applicants must be accepted for a program of study in the visual arts at a qualified art program, or such other apprenticeship, workshop, or program that the applicant would like for the Selection Committee to consider.
REQUIRED MATERIALS:
1. A personal statement describing your career and artistic goals as they relate to seeking truth and excellence and sharing light and spiritual strength with others. Include a study plan outlining how scholarship funds (anticipated to be up to $850 this year) would be spent and how this would advance your stated goals. (600 words or less).
2. High-resolution .jpg images of five (5) of your artistic works.
3. A written description of each work, including the name of the work, the medium/media used, and any characteristics of the work that are not easily represented using the digital images. Each description is limited to 100 words, for a total of 500 words or less.
4. Documentation of enrollment or acceptance in a visual arts program (or such other apprenticeship, workshop, or program that the applicant would like for the Selection Committee to consider), that the applicant intends to attend. Preference will be given to applicants who attend an institution which normally maintains a regular faculty and curriculum and normally has a regularly enrolled body of pupils or students in attendance at the place where it usually carries on its educational activities. However, the Selection Committee will consider awarding scholarships to other unique apprenticeships, workshops, and programs, provided the applicant delivers information describing the opportunity sufficient for the Selection Committee to evaluate its educational potential. Documentation may include a letter of acceptance, course schedule, written statement of intent, or similar.
DEADLINE & TIMELINE:
Applications are due Monday, April 15, 2024. A juror or jurors will review applications. We estimate awards will be announced around June 30, 2024 and then disbursed by August 30, 2024. A final review of the use of these funds should be submitted by July 3, 2024 by the recipient.
FAQS:
Q: For purposes of this scholarship, what does it mean to be a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints?
A: It means you should self-identify as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and be on church's records as a baptized member.
Q: If I was awarded a VOTAF scholarship or grant, when am I eligible to apply again?
A: You may apply again after skipping two years. For example, if you were awarded a scholarship or grant in 2021, you should wait to apply again until 2024. Those who have been awarded two scholarships or grants or a combination of each are no longer eligible for additional awards, as these awards are meant to facilitate movement toward self-sustainability.
Q: If I participated in the fundraising auction, is it appropriate for me to apply for a scholarship or grant?
A: Yes, it is appropriate. We hope our scholarships and grants will make a difference--giving artists opportunities to grow that might otherwise be out of reach. We rely on you the applicant and on our jurors to judge based on need and merit. Refrain from applying if you feel winning a scholarship or grant wouldn't make a significant difference for your art education or career. Note also that auction artists are allowed to vote for which finalists receive a peer award. As an auction artist, if you apply for a scholarship or grant, you forfeit your opportunity to vote.
The Gospel Vision of the Arts Scholarship Program is a program of The Vision of the Arts Fund, a private nonprofit organization dedicated to funding, cultivating, promoting, and sustaining the arts and the development of artists in the Latter-day Saint community. The purpose of this scholarship program is to promote the development of artists in the Latter-day Saint community and to cultivate art in the Latter-day Saint community by providing scholarships to visual artists who are also members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and who demonstrate an ongoing interest in creating imagery that depicts gospel themes. Our hope is that by providing scholarships to support the study of art, more promising LDS artists will pursue meaningful careers in the visual arts.
APPLICANT QUALIFICATIONS:
1. Applicants must be current members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
2. Applicants must be visual artists. “Visual art” is defined as hand-made objects, including painting, drawing, sculpture, printmaking, installation, or other processes which are not strictly digital or electronic; excluding photography, digital painting/drawing, video, sound, performance art, temporary or ephemeral art. Work that combines the hand-made with the digital may be considered. If a question arises about whether or not a particular artist’s work qualifies as “Visual Art” for the purposes of this scholarship, the determination will be made by the Board of Directors. Their work should display a continuing interest in conveying gospel-related themes.
3. Applicants must be accepted for a program of study in the visual arts at a qualified art program, or such other apprenticeship, workshop, or program that the applicant would like for the Selection Committee to consider.
REQUIRED MATERIALS:
1. A personal statement describing your career and artistic goals as they relate to creating gospel-themed imagery, including a study plan outlining how scholarship funds would be spent and how this would advance your stated goals. (600 words or less).
2. A statement of financial need. In addition to addressing your financial situation, we prefer this statement include an exact tuition amount requested (not to exceed $5500) so we can pay tuition fees directly to the institution. Example 1: $2650 to pay tuition for a semester as a full-time art student at BYU Provo. Example 2: $1700 to pay tuition for a two week master class at the Jerusalem Studio School in Civita. Example 3: $810 to pay tuition for an apprenticeship program in the studio of such and such artist. (350 words or less).
3. High-resolution .jpg images of five (5) of your artistic works, at least three (3) of which should demonstrate your interest in gospel themes.
4. A written description of each work, including the name of the work, the medium/media used, and any characteristics of the work that are not easily represented using the digital images. Each description is limited to 100 words, for a total of 500 words or less.
5. Documentation of enrollment or acceptance in a visual arts program (or such other apprenticeship, workshop, or program that the applicant would like for the Selection Committee to consider), that the applicant intends to attend. Preference will be given to applicants who attend an institution which normally maintains a regular faculty and curriculum and normally has a regularly enrolled body of pupils or students in attendance at the place where it usually carries on its educational activities. However, the Selection Committee will consider awarding scholarships to other unique apprenticeships, workshops, and programs, provided the applicant delivers information describing the opportunity sufficient for the Selection Committee to evaluate its educational potential. Documentation may include a letter of acceptance, course schedule, written statement of intent, or similar.
DEADLINE & TIMELINE:
Applications are due Monday, April 15, 2024. A jury of three professionals in the field of visual arts will review applications. Finalist applications will also be submitted to a group of artist peers who have donated artwork to fund these awards. We estimate awards will be announced around June 30, 2024 and then disbursed by August 30, 2024. A final review of the use of these funds should be submitted by July 3, 2024 by the recipient.
FAQS:
Q: For purposes of this scholarship, what does it mean to be a current Latter-Day Saint?
A: It means you should self-identify as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and be on church's records as a baptized member.
Q: For purposes of this scholarship, what is meant by work that demonstrates an interest in gospel themes?
A: Work should depict, address, or be inspired by any of the four LDS standard works (Bible, Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and Pearl of Great Price) and/or the teachings of modern era LDS church leaders.
Q: If I was awarded a VOTAF scholarship or grant, when am I eligible to apply again?
A: You may apply again after skipping two years. For example, if you were awarded a scholarship or grant in 2021, you should wait to apply again until 2024. Those who have been awarded two scholarships or grants or a combination of each are no longer eligible for additional awards, as these awards are meant to facilitate movement toward self-sustainability.
Q: If I participated in the fundraising auction, is it appropriate for me to apply for a scholarship or grant?
A: Yes, it is appropriate. We hope our scholarships and grants will make a difference--giving artists opportunities to grow that might otherwise be out of reach. We rely on you the applicant and on our jurors to judge based on need and merit. Refrain from applying if you feel winning a scholarship or grant wouldn't make a significant difference for your art education or career. Note also that auction artists are allowed to vote for which finalists receive a peer award. As an auction artist, if you apply for a scholarship or grant, you forfeit your opportunity to vote.
The Mother Artist Fund is a program of The Vision of the Arts Fund, a private nonprofit organization dedicated to funding, cultivating, promoting, and sustaining the arts and the development of artists in the Latter-Day Saint community. The purpose of this fund is to promote the development of artists who are mothers and to cultivate art in the LDS community by providing scholarships to mothers who are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Our hope is that this grant will help facilitate the creation of a body of artwork in order to launch or significantly boost the mother artist's career.
APPLICANT QUALIFICATIONS:
1. Applicants must be mothers of a child or children under the age of 18.
2. Applicants must be current members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
3. Applicants must be visual artists. “Visual art” is defined as hand-made objects, including painting, drawing, sculpture, printmaking, installation, or other processes which are not strictly digital or electronic; excluding photography, digital painting/drawing, video, sound, performance art, temporary or ephemeral art. Work that combines the hand-made with the digital may be considered. If a question arises about whether or not a particular artist’s work qualifies as “Visual Art” for the purposes of this scholarship, the determination will be made by the Board of Directors.
4. Applicants should be highly interested in an art career and well educated in art making. The purpose of this grant is to facilitate the creation of a body of work to launch or significantly boost the artist's career. Applicants should have a desire and a plan to continue their art career beyond the expiration of the awarded grant.
REQUIRED MATERIALS:
1. A personal statement of financial need, describing the challenges you face as an artist with young children, and describing how this grant can help. The statement should include a plan outlining the dollar amount requested (not to exceed $5500) and how the funds will be used to further your art career. Example 1: I'm applying for a grant of $2600. I will use $1600 for an in-house babysitter to give me time in the studio, ten hours a week for twenty weeks--I estimate this will be enough time to finish a professional body of artwork to show. I will use the remaining $1000 to pay for frames. Example 2: I'm applying for a grant of $1000. $500 will be used to buy oil paints, canvases, brushes, and other supplies. Another $500 will be used to promote my artwork by paying for website fees and art show invitations and postage. (450 words or less).
2. An artist statement outlining the body of work you intend to create, why the work is important to you, and how you intend to share it with the public. Your work need not be overtly religious to qualify for this grant. (350 words or less).
3. High-resolution .jpg images of five (5) of your artistic works. A written description of each work, including the name of the work, the medium/media used, and any characteristics of the work that are not easily represented using the digital images. Each description is limited to 100 words, for a total of 500 words or less.
DEADLINE & TIMELINE:
Applications are due Monday, April 15, 2024. A jury of three professionals in the field of visual arts will review applications. Finalist applications will also be submitted to a group of artist peers who have donated artwork to fund these awards. We estimate awards will be announced around June 30, 2024 and then disbursed by August 30, 2024. A final review of the use of these funds should be submitted by July 3, 2024 by the recipient.
FAQS:
Q: For purposes of this scholarship, what does it mean to be a current Latter-Day Saint?
A: It means you should self-identify as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and be on the church's records as a baptized member.
Q: If I was awarded a VOTAF scholarship or grant, when am I eligible to apply again?
A: You may apply again after skipping two years. For example, if you were awarded a scholarship or grant in 2021, you should wait to apply again until 2024 Those who have been awarded two scholarships or grants or a combination of each are no longer eligible for additional awards, as these awards are meant to facilitate movement toward self-sustainability.
Q: If I participated in the fundraising auction, is it appropriate for me to apply for a scholarship or grant?
A: Yes, it is appropriate. We hope our scholarships and grants will make a difference--giving artists opportunities to grow that might otherwise be out of reach. We rely on you the applicant and on our jurors to judge based on need and merit. Refrain from applying if you feel winning a scholarship or grant wouldn't make a significant difference for your art education or career. Note also that auction artists are allowed to vote for which finalists receive a peer award. As an auction artist, if you apply for a scholarship or grant, you forfeit your opportunity to vote.