Visionary Scholarship Fund
Visionary Scholarship Application Process
The Art Alliance for Contemporary Glass (AACG), through their Visionary Level Membership, has implemented a Visionary Scholarship program for artists (graduate and undergraduate students and mid-career artists) who are making or seeking to make the creation of glass art their full-time career. The scholarship program was created to advance AACG’s mission to further the development and appreciation of art made from glass.
PLEASE NOTE THAT FOR 2023, THE VISIONARY SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION SUBMISSION DEADLINE HAS BEEN MOVED UP TO MARCH 15, 2023.
The following outlines the scholarship application process:
- AACG annually sends invitations to glass education institutions (sponsoring institutions) to submit applicants to attend a glass art class at a recognized glass program.
- The course must be intended to enhance the student’s glass art creation skills.
- The nominated student must currently be making or seeking to make their career in the creation of glass art.
- Applicants must be living and working in the United States.
- Nominations should be based on a student’s merit, need, reputation, and dedication to their art.
- Each nominating institution may submit up to two (2) applicants each year.
- Nominations must be made by a glass school - applications from students themselves will not be accepted.
- The courses must begin no earlier than May 15 of each year.
- The maximum scholarship amount will be $2,500 per student.
- Payment for the course will be sent to the institution at which the approved course will be held. Only the actual cost of the course itself will be paid. Other expenses, such as those for housing, food, transportation, supplies, and other incidentals will not be covered.
- A separate application must be submitted for each student nominated for a scholarship. For 2023, applications must be submitted through the AACG Google drive. Potential sponsors will receive an e-mail invitation asking them to submit applicants.
- The following must be e-mailed to aacgvisionary@contempglass.org immediately after submitting the application and before the March 15 application deadline:
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- A copy of the artist’s biography
- A copy of the artist’s statement
- A minimum of two (2) and a maximum of four (4) high quality images of the artist’s work
- A course evaluation completed by the student must be submitted to AACG within 30 days of the course completion. An invitation to complete the course evaluation form will be e-mailed to the student shortly after the course ends.
- The student must submit high quality photos of their work created during or after the class completion no later than December 1 of the calendar year in which the course was taken. The images can be submitted via e-mail to aacgvisionary@contempglass.org. Submission of the photos will constitute permission for AACG to post the images to our website.
- An evaluation of each student must be submitted by the applicable course instructor within 30 days of the course completion. An invitation to complete the student evaluation form will be e-mailed to the instructor shortly after the course ends.
If any additional information is needed about the Visionary Scholarship application process, please contact Judith Ross, Committee Chair at jross@contempglass.org.
Previous Scholarship Recipients:
In 2022, AACG Visionary scholarships were awarded to the following artists, shown with the schools where they attended classes:
- Guillermo Castenada, Pilchuck Glass School
- Alex Dixon, Penland School of Craft
- Jean Fernandes, Penland School of Craft
- Eunhyung Silver Kim, The Studio of the Corning Museum of Glass
- Heather Phillips, Tyler School of Art and Architecture
- Blaine Steiner, Pittsburgh Glass Center
- Amy Stephens, Penland School of Craft
- Sarah Vaughan, Pilchuck Glass School
- Kwun Lan Wong, Pilchuck Glass School
In 2019 AACG Visionary scholarships were awarded to the following artists, shown with the schools where they attended classes:
- Kagen Dunn, University of Texas at Arlington
- Shannon Floyd, Pilchuck Glass School
- Jordan Ford, Pilchuck Glass School
- Leckie Gassman, Pilchuck Glass School
- Dante Germain, Penland School of Crafts
- Jaclyn Harris, Pittsburgh Glass Center
- Katherine Kazlauskas, Pilchuck Glass School
- David King, WheatonArts Creative Glass Fellowship
- Megan Lange, Pittsburgh Glass Center
- Alex Lozano, Pilchuck Glass School
- Mark Morris, Pilchuck Glass School
- Aaron Pexa, WheatonArts Creative Glass Fellowship
- Matt Rademacher, Pilchuck Glass School
- Esteban Salazar, UrbanGlass
- Caroyln Spears, Penland School of Craft
- Erin Anne Steen, Temple University Tyler School of Art
- Luke Stone, Chrysler Museum Glass Studio
- Amanda Takacs, Corning Museum of Glass Studio
- JiEun Yoon, Chrysler Museum Glass Studio
- Hosek Youn, Pittsburgh Glass Center
- Sixuan Zhu, Temple University Tyler School of Art
In 2018 AACG Visionary scholarships were awarded to the following artists, shown with the schools where they attended classes:
- Maria Aroche, UrbanGlass
- Andrew Clark, Salem Community College
- Ryan Clark, Pilchuck Glass School
- Katy Czarnecki, Haystack Mountain College of Crafts
- Isaac Feuerman, Penland School of Crafts
- Lucy Gillis, Tyler School of Art
- Johnny Glass, Pilchuck Glass School
- Jackson Haawkins, Tyler School of Art
- Rinoi Imada, Pilchuck Glass School
- Madison Kopsa, Corning Museum of Glass
- Kayla Ohlmer, Corning Museum of Glass
- Ben Orozco, University of Wisconsin-Madison
- Michiko Sakano, UrbanGlass
- Wil Sideman, Creative Glass Center of America
- Tim Spurcise, Pilchuck Glass School
- Maia Stern, Bild-Werk Glass School
- Heather Sutherland, Pilchuck Glass School
- Gina Sylvester, Salem Community College
- Wes Valdez, Salem Community College
In 2017 AACG Visionary scholarships were awarded to the following artists:
- Jennifer Crescuillo; for a fellowship at WheatonArts, Millville, NJ; nominated by the Creative Glass Center of America.
- Joan Biddle, Mollie Hansen, and Kelsie McNair; for a glassblowing and painting on glass course; nominated by the Chrysler Museum of Art.
- Katerine Rutecki; for a course on Scandinavian screen printing on glass; nominated by the Southern Illinois University School of Art and Design.
- Leo Tecosky; for a course titled “Life Blows On;” nominated by UrbanGlass.
- Gregory Wright; for a course titled “Senior Studio;” nominated by Alfred University.
- Victoria Ahmadizadek; for a course titled “Defining Line;” nominated by Pilchuck Glass School.
- Maria Conner; for a course titled “Materiality and Spirituality;” nominated by California State University, San Bernardino.
- Charles Reynolds; for a course titled “Research in Glass;” nominated by the University of Texas, Arlington.
- Audrey Wilson; for a course titled “Architectural Approaches;” nominated by Penland School of Crafts.
- Arin Ashley; for graduate research through 12/2017; nominated by the Tyler School of Art of Temple University.
- Katherine Rutecki; for a course at UrbanGlass; nominated by Southern Illinois University.
In 2016 AACG Visionary scholarships were awarded to the following artists:
- Courtney Branam, for the course "Crafts, Clients & Caliphers" at Pilchuck Glass School, WA
- Eric Hess for the MFA research in glass at the University of Texas, Arlington
- Brian McLaughlin for a graduate class at the California School of the Arts, Oakland
- Kit Paulson for "Experimental Glass Engraving at Corning," nominated by Southern Illinois University at Carbondale School of Art and Design.
- Sharise Peacock for "Graduate Projects in Glass" at the Tyler School of Art/Temple University, Philadelphia
- Nate Ricciuto for a Creative Glss Center of America fellowship at WheatonArts, Millville, NJ
- Rebecca Szparagowski for the course "Flameworkinng for Everyone" at Penland School of Crafts, NC
- Jade Usackas, Kimberly McKinnis, and Ali Feeney, for "Screen Printed Powder" at the Chrysler Museum of Art Glass Studio, Norfolk, VA
- Evan Voelbel for "Graduate Class Studio IIA" at the Rhode Island School of Design, Providence, RI
In 2015 AACG Visionary scholarships were awarded to the following artists:
- Cheryl Patrice Derricotte, nominated by Penland School of Crafts for the program "Susan Taylor Glasgow - Glass Plus"
- Amy Lemaire, nominated by WheatonArts and Cultural Center for the program "Creative Glass Center of America Fellowship"
- Lisa Demagall, nominated through Pilchuck Glass School for the program "Kiva Ford: The Glass is Half Full"
- Erin Murdock, nominated by Haystack Mountain School of Crafts for the program "Making a Good Impression" with Daniel Clayman
