AACA Scholarships change lives
We are committed to providing arts education and enrichment opportunities for our community. One of the ways we do this is to eliminate barriers to participation in the arts. Financial limitations are a significant challenge for our community in which the median income is well below the national average and a majority of public school students qualify for free lunch.
Athens Area Council for the Arts is proud to offer two scholarship programs for some of the most vulnerable groups in our community. The Marian Biddle Trew Scholarship Fund offers need-based tuition support to minor youth registering for classes and camps while the Laura Abbot Scholarship Fund offers need-based financial aid to senior citizens interested in registering for art classes at The Arts Center or any other non-profit arts organization.
Purpose
Provide access to arts opportunities for minor youth with documented financial hardship.
Annual awards
AACA funds from $2,750 - $5,000 in youth scholarships annually.
Funding sources
Kiwanis Club of Athens, Brenda Mitchell, and other anonymous individual donors.
How youth/guardians can apply
Scholarship applications for camps and classes are available upon request. The form requires a parent or guardian to fill out a single page indicating financial need and includes a second page that must be completed and returned to The Arts Center by a teacher, administrator, or non-family member in a leadership role such as a youth pastor or piano teacher.
History
Marian Biddle Trew worked to develop a scholarship program for area youth during her time on staff at Athens Area Council for the Arts. In 2004, AACA, in partnership with Chris Trew, Judy & Bill Biddle, and the AACA Auxiliary, established a scholarship fund in Marian's memory. Marian was a beloved friend and AACA supporter who helped make the AACA arts in education program a strong asset of our community. Since the scholarship was established, AACA, the Trew and Biddle families, and the AACA auxiliary have donated $20,000 to graduating seniors in our county who chose to pursue an arts education. In 2013, the AACA board of directors and Marian’s family decided to honor her commitment to building AACA’s arts in education program by using the Marian Biddle Trew Scholarship to fund tuition for AACA classes and camps.
Marian Biddle Trew Scholarship Fund
Purpose
Provide financial support to senior citizens to enroll in arts classes at The Arts Center or other nonprofit organizations.
Funding sources
Community Artist League fundraisers, private donations, and .
How seniors can apply
Scholarship applications are available upon request and should be submitted at least one week in advance of the registration deadline for Arts Center classes and at least two weeks in advance of the registration deadline for classes offered elsewhere.
History
Laura Abbott was a beloved arts educator and friend of the arts who earned her Master of Fine Arts from University of Tennessee at Knoxville and taught Art and English at TMG High School for many years. She was an active participant in classes at The Arts Center and a member of Community Artists League (CAL). In 2022 CAL established a memorial scholarship to honor Laura's devotion to arts education, and help provide arts access to senior citizens with financial need. AACA began serving as fiscal custodians of the scholarship fund in 2023 so that donations would be tax-deductible as AACA is a registered 501c3 nonprofit organization.
