Tampa, Fla. (May 15, 2018) – Tampa Bay Businesses for Culture & the Arts (TBBCA) successfully raised private sector support of $17,500 funding the 2019 Charlie Hounchell Art Stars Scholarships. Since the scholarships program was founded just 10 years ago by TBBCA past board president, the late Charlie Hounchell, the non-profit has awarded over $187,500 to more than 75 students to help them achieve their dreams of higher education and future careers in the arts. The scholarship awards ceremony that showcased the talented young artists and performers took place at The Vault in downtown Tampa under the patronage of Mrs. Carolyn Wilson, The Wilson Co.
“Each year TBBCA convenes our private sector pARTners and business leaders together with our community to celebrate the Art Stars Scholarships founded by Charlie,” said Stephen Gay, TBBCA Board Chair and President. He added, “This TBBCA program rewards and encourages the endeavors of artistic prodigies in instrumental and vocal music, theater, dance, visual and literary arts. The important financial assistance that we provide is a high-impact way of helping these students pursue a path to excellence and leadership in arts related fields and beyond.”
The 2019 scholarships were awarded to: Brennan Smith – Literary Arts – Poetry Award, Alannee May Noel – Visual Arts, Graham Shelor – Dance, Kayla Ginty – Theater, Angellina Fedulo – Vocal Music, and Solomon Keim – Instrumental Music. A special 30th Anniversary Art Stars Scholarship was awarded to William Clifford for Piano in honor of Lorna Taylor, TBBCA Board Director and Past President. All but one of the five graduating seniors and two juniors are from public high schools.
“At the heart of our scholarships program is student success,” noted TBBCA Executive Director Susana Weymouth. “We are helping these young artists and performers to further develop their talents, and the critical creative skills that are increasingly in demand by businesses and organizations across sectors. These scholarships empower their future fulfilling careers so that they may make meaningful contributions and bring quality, culturally significant experiences and collaborations to our global economy.”
The scholarship winners were selected based on their talent and merit by judges expert in their fields: Lisa Unger, award-winning New York Times and internationally best-selling author; Joanna Robotham, Curator for Modern and Contemporary Art, Tampa Museum of Art; Helen Hansen French; Juilliard graduate, choreographer/dancer, and founder of dance collectives; Eugenie Bondurant, acclaimed film and television actor, singer, and educator; Paul Wilborn, Director of The Palladium, band leader and musician, author of the recently published Cigar City; and Dawne Eubanks, classical soloist and voice instructor at Eckerd College and Pinellas County Center for the Arts at Gibbs High School. For more information on the 2019 recipients and judges visit https://www.tbbca.org/programs-events/art-stars-scholarships/
TBBCA welcomes voluntary donations in support of The Charlie Hounchell Art Stars Scholarships online at www.tbbca.org or contact TBBCA 813-221-2787. Individual scholarship naming rights available.