SCHOLARSHIP FOR THE ARTS

Toe River Arts Scholarship for the Arts is made possible by an endowment fund held by the Community Foundation of Western North Carolina. These scholarships are awarded to individuals from Yancey or Mitchell County, North Carolina, who are pursuing higher education in arts or arts education. Each scholarship will be paid directly to the degree-based institution of the applicant’s attendance.

2025 Scholarship for the Arts Application Now Open!

Toe River Arts is now accepting applications for our annual Scholarship for Arts. These scholarships are awarded to individuals from Yancey or Mitchell County, North Carolina, who are pursuing higher education in the arts or arts education. Each scholarship will be paid directly to the degree-based institution of the applicant’s attendance. The Scholarship for the Arts is made possible by an endowment fund held by the Community Foundation of Western North Carolina.

ELIGIBILITY

Scholarships ranging from $500-$1000 are awarded annually under the title of the Toe River Scholarships for the Arts.

Awards are open to graduating seniors, and to adult residents of Yancey or Mitchell County, North Carolina, who are pursuing higher education for arts or arts education and who are enrolled or in the process of enrolling. Previous Toe River Arts Scholarships for the Arts award winners are not eligible to apply. If the applicant is turned down for admission, the scholarship will not be allocated. Additionally, if the applicant withdraws from the arts related program, the scholarship will be returned to Toe River Arts by the granting institution.

BASIS FOR AWARD

A panel of judges comprised of Toe River Arts Board Members will review and evaluate all submissions. The scholarship amount is $1000, and this amount can be divided to award multiple applicants. The committee will review each application, reference letter and the 5 work samples provided. Submissions will be evaluated based upon original thinking, artistic commitment, and a willingness to take creative risks. All decisions made by the panel will be final.

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS

• Contact Information & Application
• Narrative
• Five Work Samples
• One letter of referral from a teacher, school counselor, or professional reference discussing applicant’s arts related higher educational goals. Letter should be emailed directly to alena@toeriverarts.org by May 18, 2025.

TIMELINE

• Monday, March 24: Scholarship Application goes live online (3/24-5/18)
• Monday, May 19: Applicant materials sent to committee panel for review.
• Friday, May 30: Committee has virtual zoom meeting to discuss the application and make final decision.
• Monday, June 2: Applicants are notified of their status.
• Monday, June 16: Scholarship funds mailed.

Apply here: https://secure.lglforms.com/form_engine/s/bwQ5B43M9OuaQ-9Ywcb58g

Contact Alena Applerose, Toe River Arts Community Outreach Coordinator, for more information at Alena@toeriverarts.org or 828-765-0524.

Toe River Arts awards this scholarship to help support our emerging artists continue their education in the arts. Once again, congratulations to this year’s recipients!

Past Scholarship for the Arts Recipients

2024

Lillian Kline

Lillian Kline, of Penland, NC, is currently attending Maryland Institute College of Art as a General Fine Arts major. She is passionate about creating artwork exploring the ways that we relate to each other through our environment, love, and lineage. She is working in multiple media including fiber, sculpture, and printmaking.

Starla Woodby

Starla Woodby, of Burnsville, NC, shares, “I enjoy experimenting and experiencing different art mediums. I like getting feedback from other artists to see other perspectives and suggestions. Art is my therapy basically. My artistic goals with this scholarship is to try new things that are out of my comfort zone and potentially find a new favorite hobby.”

2023

Haven Lee

Haven Lee, of Yancey County, demonstrated a passion for his arts studies showing artistic commitment and a willingness to take creative risks. Haven is a product design major at the Kansas City Art Institute. He aspires to create beautiful, durable, thoughtfully designed objects at a more accessible price. He also has ambitions to create his products out of sustainable materials that can be reused, refurbished, and upcycled, as a means to reduce consumer waste.

2022

Evelyn Klein

Evelyn is a student at Appalachian State University pursuing a BFA in Studio Art with a concentration in Metalsmithing and Jewelry Design.

“I am about to enter my third year at App State and am so grateful to continue pursuing my education with the help of Toe River Arts. This scholarship from the arts council will help support my studies at App State and the materials that are needed for my classes. I am excited about the opportunity to return to school in the fall semester and get back to learning and doing something I love.”

2021

Lily Wieland

Lily Wieland graduated from Mountain Heritage High School and received her Bachelor of Arts in Theatre and English from Wake Forest University in 2019. Since then, she has worked as a freelance stage manager across North Carolina and Massachusetts. In the fall of 2021, Lily began earning her Masters in Stage & Event Management at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama in Cardiff, Wales.