Tampa Bay Businesses For Culture and the Arts has chosen the St. Pete Catalyst as the exclusive publisher of the Charlie Hounchell Art Stars Scholarships Program for 2020.
The Catalyst – a social news platform with deep roots in the community and a strong journalistic voice – joins Linda and Michael Connelly’s Hieronymous Foundation, the Tampa Bay Times, Tampa Bay magazine and The University of Tampa as Chair’s Circle pARTners with TBBCA.
“Five of our six judges are based in the St. Petersburg area,” said TBBCA executive director Susana Weymouth, “and with the Catalyst speaking for, representing and bringing forth so many community voices in St. Pete, it seemed like a really modern platform that would reach a good audience. So I thought this would be a responsible way to focus on this remarkable program that’s in its 12 year.”
Named for past TBBCA president Charlie Hounchell, the Art Stars Scholarships Program awards $2,500 to arts or literary arts.
In lieu of an actual awards ceremony during the COVID-19 crisis, the extraordinary talents of the class of 2020 will be showcased on a 30-minute video program, produced by TBBCA and published exclusively by the Catalyst in mid-June.
Beginning Monday, June 8, the Catalyst will release a series of “teaser” video interviews with all six of the 2020 scholarship winners, and the judges, through its Impact Catalyst series.
Awardees are competitively selected based on talent and merit by judges who are experts in their field. The scholarship funds are paid directly to the university, college or conservatory of the student’s choice to help defray tuition expenses for higher education in the arts.
Tampa Bay Businesses for Culture and the Arts is a 501(c)3, is one of the national Business Committees for the Arts, part of the private sector network and national pARTnership Movement of Americans for the Arts. The TBBCA mission is to unite Tampa Bay businesses to champion arts and culture for a prosperous community.