The final day to submit applications for the Goss-Michael Foundation scholarships is next week, Thursday, March 31, so we wanted to take this opportunity and answer some of the most frequently asked questions regarding our scholarship program.

Q.  What scholarships do you offer?  Are they only for students of Booker T.Washington?

A.  We offer four scholarships.  Only two, the Kenny Goss Art Scholarship and the George Michael Music Scholarship, are set aside for students of Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in Dallas, TX.

The other two scholarships are for students that do NOT attend Booker T. Washington.  Students that live in the Dallas/Fort Worth area are eligible for the Dallas/Fort Worth Art Scholarship.  They must be a graduating senior from a DFW high school that wants to pursue a degree in fine art.  Students that live outside of the Dallas/Fort Worth area are eligible for the Texas Art Scholarship.  They must be a graduating senior from a Texas High School that wants to pursue a degree in fine art.

Q.  I live in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, does that mean I can apply for both the Dallas/Fort Worth Art Scholarship and the Texas Art Scholarship?

A.  No, only one application per student will be accepted.  Applications received from students residing in the DFW area are only considered for the Dallas Fort Worth Art Scholarship.

Q.  Are these scholarships renewable?

A.  No, recipients only receive the award once, and it is not renewable.  Each scholarship is awarded to a different student every year.

Q.  Do you offer any scholarships to students currently enrolled in a university?

A.  No, we do not offer any scholarships to students currently pursuing their undergraduate or graduate degrees.  This is something that we would very much like to do at some point, but unfortunately, we do not have the necessary funding at this time.

Q.  Do you need to be a U.S. Citizen to apply?

A.  Yes, these scholarships are intended to promote and support the arts locally, specifically in Texas.  It is part of our mission to present exhibitions, programs and resources to educate, engage, and inspire youth and adult audiences in the Dallas area and abroad.  We would love to widen the scope our scholarship program in the future, but right now, we’re starting in our community.

Q.  Which majors are eligible for this scholarship?

A.  These scholarships are set aside specifically for those students who want to pursue a career in a fine arts field, i.e. exhibiting artists, gallerists, curators, art historians, art educators, museum educators.  Therefore, acceptable majors include those specifically tailored to prepare a student for one of these career choices.  These include, but are not limited to painting, sculpture, printmaking, photography, drawing, art education, and art history.

Architecture, graphic design, animation, film making, interior design and fashion-related majors are not eligible.  While these majors and careers require artistic ability and/or creativity they fall within the realm of design or applied art, rather than that of fine art.  To learn more about the differences between art and design check out this article.

Q.  I plan on attending a community college upon graduation, am I still eligible for this scholarship?

A. Yes!  We actually have several recipients that have attended community college upon graduation.  If you haven’t already, take a look at our previous scholarship recipients and be inspired!

Q.  What is an Artist’s Statement and how do I write one?

A.  An artist’s statement is a short written statement that should help the judges understand what you believe to be the most important aspects of your art and the techniques you use to make it.  An artist’s statement is not a résumé, a biography, a list of accomplishments and awards, a summary of exhibitions, or a catalogue of works.

We’ve put together an informative PDF to help you write your artist’s statement. In addition, there are also many resources available on the Internet.

If you have any other questions not listed above, let us know!  We’ll be sure and answer them soon.