The Visual and Performing Arts Foundation (VAPA) for SDUSD is once again pleased to offer two (2) $1,500 tuition scholarships for the third annual funding cycle of the Larry Baza Arts Scholarship, created in memory of VAPA Foundation Co-founder Larry Baza and funded by private donations. Please share this to any and all of your students who could be interested in furthering their art education after high school!
This scholarship assists graduating seniors from the geographical operating area of the San Diego Unified School District (SDUSD). We are seeking individuals who have demonstrated a desire to create art in their communities and will continue to foster a spirit of creativity. For this reason, scholarships will be awarded based on artistic merit and financial need. Applicants should fully complete the application form and provide transcripts from their high school.
Message from the Director-
The Larry Baza Scholarship is a community-raised effort to uplift the next generation of creatives as they grow and refine their artistic voice in higher education. Educators- this is a fabulous opportunity for SDUSD High School seniors, thank you all for sharing this call with your students. We are overjoyed to see their responses!
Russ Sperling
SDUSD Director of Visual and Performing Arts
The application opens on January 7, 2025.
The deadline to apply is March 30, 2025.
Eligibility requirements
Graduating San Diego Unified School District high school or charter school seniors in any art discipline are eligible to apply. Applicants must comply with the requirements below. All applications must include the listed items at the time of submission in order to be reviewed, ranked, and considered for funding.
- Artist’s narrative – Applicants must provide a brief personal story on how the arts have impacted their life, including a description of their background and artistic focus as well as how the funds will support the artist’s professional practice. If submitting in video, audio, visual format, acceptable file types would be .jpg, .png, .docx, .pdf, mp3, URLS, etc.
- Artist work samples – Applicants must include at least three examples of their work. Acceptable file types would be .jpg, .png, .docx, .pdf, mp3, URLS, etc.
- Artist work samples – Applicants must include at least three examples of their work. Acceptable file types would be .jpg, .png, .docx, .pdf, mp3, URLS, etc.
- Letter of support or testimonial – Applicants must provide a written signed statement from an individual or organization familiar with their body of work that can substantiate the artist’s practice and impact in their community.
- High School Transcript – applicant must supply a high school transcript reflecting a minimum overall GPA of 2.0 or higher
- Enrollment in a Post-Secondary Education Institution – student must be planning to enroll/ be enrolled for the 2025-26 school year (with verification i.e. acceptance letter) in a community college, university, or accredited post-secondary educational institution at the time they are notified as a finalist of the award.
Application Review Criteria
A review panel will adjudicate complete and eligible applications based on the following criteria. Application questions will address these same criteria:
- Did the artist achieve their stated goals as outlined in the accompanying artist statement?
- How well technically did the artist convey their vision?
- How well did the art (not the personal written statements) of the artist communicate with you
as a viewer?
Judges will assign 0-5 points for each question and sum the points to assist in ranking the candidates.
Key Dates
Application Opens: January 7, 2025
Application Deadline: March 30, 2025 11:59PM (Midnight)
Review Period: April 6-April 20, 2025
Finalists Contacted: April 21, 2025
Deadline to Verify Enrollment: May 2, 2025
Winners Announced May 10, 2025
For questions and concerns, please contact: kim@vapafoundation.org
Application Closed