Art Scholarships

Apply for art scholarships and photography scholarships for 2025. Use your talent to win an art scholarship or photography scholarship, including drawing, painting, sculpture, photography, and digital art.

Art Scholarships and Photography Scholarships

Grand Canyon, William Holmes, 1882

In addition to these scholarships, be sure to check at your art school or college financial aid office for local and college art scholarships. Also, check out our readers experience with getting into art school and private loans for art school.

Doodle for Google Scholarships – Art Scholarships

Application Deadline - varies, typically February or March

Award Amount - 1 national winner receives $30,000 college scholarship and award of $50,000 technology package for their school/non-profit organization; 4 national finalists receive $5,000 college scholarship

Annual art contest open to students in grades K-12. Students may create a Doodle using any medium or materials, but judging will be based upon 2D. For more information on the Doodle for Google Scholarships and to apply online see Doodle for Google Scholarship.

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Bank of America Achievement Awards – Art Scholarships

Application Deadline January each year (selected by the high school facility)

Award Amount up to $2,000. 320 finalists receive awards. $2000 for first place winners, $1500 for second place, $1000 for third place, and $500 for all other scholarship finalists

This program awards high school seniors in California in specific subject areas who plan to attend college in any state. Students are chosen by their schools for scholarships in these areas: agriculture, art, business, communications, computer studies, drama, English, ESL, foreign language, history, home economics, math, music, religious studies, social science, science, trades and industrial science.

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World Photography Association Awards

Application Deadline - January

Award Amount - $25,000 for professional competition, $5,000 for open competition, other awards for student and youth competition. Award may also include Sony digital imaging equipment.

Each year, Sony sponsors the World Photography Association Awards. Applicants submit their series of 5 to 10 photographs in 10 different categories in the professional competition, or a single photograph in the open competition. Student and youth competitions have their own requirements. For more information see www.worldphoto.org

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The Exhibitus Scholarship

Application Deadline April of each year

Award Amount $1000

The Exhibitus Scholarship is open to students pursuing a degree in the field of design such as: architectural design, graphic design, interior design, motion media design, or industrial design. 3 samples of creative work required. For more information see exhibitus.com

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Celebrate the West

Application Deadline April of each year

Award Amount $1000 first place, additional awards available

Open to high school students who create original art inspired by their state. This is sponsored by the Western Governors’ Association and is open to students from western 19 states and islands. westgov.org/celebrate-the-west

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Grandma Moses Art Scholarships for Women

Application Deadline March of each year

Award Amount $3000 stipend per year, may be renewed for up to 3 additional years (1 award per year)

Female high school seniors whose arts is in “congruence with the art of Grandma Moses” may apply. Scholarship requirements include planning to study art in a college, university or art school. Preference is given to students from the western United States. Merit based scholarship. For more information, contact the Western Art Association, Attn. Foundation, 13730 Loumont Street, Whittier, CA 90601

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Valley of the Yosemite, artist Albert Bierstadt, 1868

John F and Anna Lee Stacey Art Scholarships

Application Deadline January of each year (submit applications November 1 - February 1)

Award Amount $5000 for 1 year, 1 or more awards per year

This scholarship is for art education along conservative lines, including painting and drawing in the classic tradition of western culture and favor realism or naturalism. Categories include painting from life, drawing from the figure, composition, or landscape. Financial need is not required. See these Art Scholarships website www.nationalcowboymuseum.org

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Ellice T Johnston Ceramic Art Scholarships

Application Deadline June of each year

Award Amount $1800 stipend, 1 or 2 awards per year, may be renewed

Ceramic art scholarships require students complete two years of college or art school in sculpture, drawing, design and study of ceramics. To qualify, students must be residents or students in Oregon or northern California pursing upper division art school. See the Ceramic Art Scholarships website www.clayfolk.org/

The Tetons and the Snake River, photographer Ansel Adams, 1942

Scholastic Art Awards

Application Deadline varies, December or January of each year

Award Amount $10,000 to 15 recipients

These art and photography scholarships are open to students in grades 7 – 12. Art categories include digital art, photography, film, print, architecture, comic art, ceramics, drawing, fashion, jewelry, mixed media, painting, sculpture and video games. See the Alliance for Young Artists Art Scholarships website www.artandwriting.org

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Young Arts Competition Awards

Application Deadline varies, most October

Award Amount up to $10,000 to 5 recipients for photography scholarships and 25 recipients in visual arts

The National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts offers this program to reward outstanding high school seniors in art, photography, music, dance and writing. Award winners are invited to Miami for the final competitions. For more information about the Young Arts winners or scholarships see www.youngarts.org

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Bodie McDowell Scholarships for Outdoor Writing and Art

Application Deadline February of each year

Award Amount $1000 to $5000 per year for 3 or more recipients

These photography scholarship and art scholarship awards are for undergraduates entering their junior or senior year of college or graduate students. Students must major in a field related to outdoor communication, such as art, writing, photography, film, print or broadcasting. Bodie McDowell Art Scholarships website owaa.org

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Sculpture at University of California, Davis

Create-A-Greeting-Card Scholarship Contest

Application Deadline typically open from mid March to mid January

Award Amount $10,000 plus $1000 for your school

Submit your photo, artwork or computer graphic for the front of a greeting card. Designs should be appropriate for business and consumer use, such as birthday or Christmas cards. Must be your own original work. This is one of the easy scholarships for artistic students! Open to high school, college and university students, and member of the armed forces. Must be a legal resident or have a student visa to attend school in the US. Must be at least 14 years old. Winner will be notified in March. For more information, see www.gallerycollection.com

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Advice for Getting into Art School

Art School and You – Admission Tips

So you’ve finally decided to pursue a college education in the arts, but have no idea where to start. Despite the daunting process, small tips can go a long way. I’ll start with the biggest piece of advice I can offer…

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Private Loans = Starving Artist

Written by Inessa from Hawaii

Student Loan Repayment Assistance - Private Loans = Starving Artist - I have always grown up without any financial help and a dream to go to college. That being said, and in my hurry to complete my degree, I took out three private loans in the amount of about $38,000.

I currently have a part time job and am selling as much art work as I can in order to make my enormous payments, month to month. The amount I owe in comparison to what I make is unbearable, and although I am suffering the consequences, I am happy to have a degree I am so passionate about.

Although I realize I put myself in this position, I do not regret anything I did because I can say I successfully completed my bachelor's with a great GPA and a major that makes me extremely happy.

What I do regret is not exploring my financial options ahead of time, to better prepare for my future. For instance, Federal Student Loans could have saved me a lot of money every month, and Scholarships for College could have eased the burden of education costs. I believe financial preparation is of great importance when considering college, not to say that is what will make or break a college decision, but exploring all financial possibilities to give you the best options is something so crucial when it comes paying for college.

Now that I have this information, I am applying for Master's programs and know what I need to do so I will not make the same mistake and really invest in researching everything I can to create a better financial situation when, and after I complete grad school. I say preparation is the most important part of college costs because once you invest in loans, you are under a contract to pay a certain amount, a certain interest, etc, and although there may be some deferment plans, or forbearance options , private loans in my experience aren't lenient at all.

Once you get yourself into the situation I have at hand, it is important to see where you are financially and if your cost of student loans exceed your cost of living, a situation I know all too well. Firstly, see if there is any type of deferment you can obtain if you cannot pay and need a quick option; some loans have an in school deferment, some have an unemployment deferment, etc. There are also forbearance options, for instance one of my loans gave me the option to have six months worth of "skipping" payment, if you will, and the interests is added on to the end of the payment.

See if you have exhausted all your options with the loans you already have (interest only payments, deferments, etc) and if there is absolutely nothing you can do, you have to find other sources of income. Look at another part time job, or a job that pays more; do odd jobs such as cleaning, babysitting, washing a car, selling arts and crafts, selling clothing or odds and ends you don't use. Trust me I have been here, working three jobs at a time, picking up odd jobs, and trying to put my artwork out there. I just sold a painting for $400 in order to make a Sallie Mae payment. Research ways you can make money quickly, I have seen even the most extreme ways one can make money, from secret shopper to selling your plasma, there are ways to make money quickly.

This is probably not your typical essay, but it comes from real life experience, I have done almost all the things mentioned above in order to pay these bills, but the reality is I have to continue making these payments. I hope this essay firstly reaches out to students who have not yet taken out private loans so they understand this should be the absolute last option in paying for education. Secondly, I hope this reaches out to students in a similar situation as myself and that some of the ideas or tips I mentioned can benefit them at least a little bit.

Paying off student loans is tough, but I hope with the experience I have, I am able to prevent or help others from the financial burdens of education.

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