Larry Baza Arts Scholarship
Guidelines and Application
Application Open
This grant has been established and provided by the Visual and Performing Arts (VAPA) Foundation in memoriam of Larry T. Baza, champion and lifelong advocate of the arts and civil rights within and outside of San Diego. Larry’s passion for the arts began in his youth. As a high school student, the arts community provided Larry with a sense of belonging and San Diego’s theater and visual art communities unlocked new worlds for him. For more than 40 years, Larry advocated tirelessly for San Diego’s artistic and cultural community at the local, state, and national levels.
The purpose of this grant is to foster artistic endeavors of San Diego Unified School Seniors, whether it be through a traditional post-secondary educational track or through other means. The Larry Baza Arts Scholarship, through the VAPA Foundation, has scholarship assistance available to students from San Diego Unified High Schools so that they may pursue higher education in an undergraduate college or technical school of their choice. Scholarships of $1,500 will be awarded to each student selected.
This scholarship is intended to assist graduating seniors from the geographical operating area of the San Diego Unified School District. 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 submit transcripts from their high school.
Applications are now open and will be due September 30, 2026 11:59PM (Midnight). Grant recipients will be announced in May 2027.
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.
- 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 in a community college, university, or accredited post-secondary educational institution.
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 For VAPA Foundation Scholarship
2026-2027 Cycle
- Application Opens: April 15, 2026
- Application Deadline: September 30, 2026 11:59PM (Midnight)
- Review Period: September 10-30, 2026
- Finalists Contacted: October 15, 2026
- Deadline to Verify Enrollment: Spring 2027
- Winners Announced by the VAPA Foundation in May 2027
For questions and concerns, please contact: kim@vapafoundation.org