Grants, Fellowships, and Scholarships

The Newburyport Art Association aims to support artists of all ages and backgrounds through a variety of opportunities.


Grants, Fellowships, and Scholarships offered by the NAA…

  • Through ArtLink, the NAA provides scholarships to local graduating seniors who are pursuing art, art education, and/or arts management in college. These scholarships are made possible with the support of the Biese Family, Emmerling Family, Hemphill Family Foundation, Arbeit-Cheney Charitable Fund, and many generous individuals and community partners.

    The ArtLink scholarships are available to current seniors at Amesbury, Haverhill, Newburyport, Pentucket, and Triton High Schools, though some scholarships are restricted to certain schools. A list is provided below with more detail.

    Scholarships offered:

    • NAA Arbeit-Cheney Charitable Fund Scholarship ($750) - open to Amesbury, Haverhill, Newburyport, Pentucket, and Triton High Schools

    • NAA Biese Family Scholarship ($1,500) in memory of Gary Key - open to Amesbury, Haverhill, Newburyport, Pentucket, and Triton High Schools

    • NAA Hemphill Family Foundation Scholarship ($2,000) - open to Amesbury and Newburyport High Schools

    • NAA Peter Kimmins Memorial Scholarship ($250) - open to Amesbury, Haverhill, Newburyport, Pentucket, and Triton High Schools

    • NAA Ronald Emmerling Scholarship ($2,500) - open to Amesbury, Haverhill, Newburyport, Pentucket, and Triton High Schools

    • NAA Sara Demrow Dent Scholarship ($1,000) - open to Amesbury, Haverhill, Newburyport, Pentucket, and Triton High Schools

    • NAA Sue Keller Scholarship ($500) - open to Amesbury, Haverhill, Newburyport, Pentucket, and Triton High Schools

    Eligibility

    • Applicants must be a senior in high school at one of the designated schools listed above. Each scholarship is associated with a list of eligible schools.

    • Applicants will automatically be considered for any and all scholarships for which they are eligible, based on their high school enrollment.

    • Applicants must be accepted into (with plans to enroll in) a four-year, full-time program (university/college) to study fine art, design, art education, and/or arts management.

    The online application is open; students can apply by:

    • completing the online application form

    • writing a brief (no more than 300 words) artist’s statement

    • providing a letter of recommendation

    • submitting a copy of your program acceptance letter

    • uploading an artist portfolio, consisting of 6 images alongside the corresponding title, medium, and description of work

    Deadlines

    • All scholarships: May 2, 2024 (11:59pm)

    Any questions can be sent to education@newburyportart.org

    Notifications will be sent to all applicants towards the end of May.

    APPLY TODAY!

  • The NAA, in collaboration with The Hemphill Family Foundation and the Massachusetts College of Art & Design, offers a very special opportunity — an annual scholarship for the Pre-College Summer Studios program at MassArt. The scholarship will be offered for the program's virtual/online format. A four-week intensive experience in art making and critical thinking, this dynamic and engaging program is for a young artist who is serious about their work. Students will develop the discipline required to achieve excellence in their artistic endeavors and produce work for their portfolios.

    As this offering will take place online in the “Virtual Format”, students will need access to a computer, laptop, or smartphone with video/camera capabilities, alongside a reliable internet connection.

    Eligibility

    This scholarship is available to students entering the 11th and 12th grade this fall (so, typically students that are currently in the 10th or 11th grade) at the following high schools: Amesbury High School, Haverhill High School, Newburyport High School, Pentucket High School, Timberlane Regional High School, and Triton High School.

    Applications are made online by:

    • completing the online application form

    • providing a brief (no more than 300 words) statement of purpose describing why the student wants to attend Summer Studios

    • submitting two letters of recommendation — one from a faculty or staff member at the student’s high school, and one from any unrelated adult who is willing and able to speak of the applicant’s maturity and readiness to participate in Summer Studios

    • uploading 6-10 samples of your strongest work (image upload), also providing the corresponding title, medium, and a brief description of each work

    CLOSED ON MARCH 25

  • The Newburyport Art Association in collaboration with The Hemphill Family Foundation supports a $2,000 grant program for NAA adult artists (ages 25+) in support of their artistic practice and professional development. Examples of fund use include but are not limited to travel, education/class/learning opportunities, and beyond. Make it an adventure!

    Applications are due by April 8 (11:59pm). Finalists for the award will be notified on April 15, with an invitation to show some of their own work at Newburyport Art as part of the Art Adventure Grant Finalist Exhibition. (Further details on the Finalist Exhibition can be found within the grant application itself.)

    The winner of the $2,000 Art Adventure Grant will be announced at the exhibition’s award reception on May 4.

    Applicants must be current members of Newburyport Art. Previous grant recipients are not eligible to apply. (Finalists from previous years may reapply!)

    Applications are made online by:

    • completing the online application form

    • uploading 3 images (25MB max per image) that represent your strongest artwork, accompanied by the title, media/medium, and brief description of each work

    • providing a brief statement (no more than 300 words) on how the funds will be utilized

    • and, optionally, providing a resume/cv

    Application closed on APRIL 8

  • The Kevin Quinan Memorial Scholarship is intended to benefit an adult emerging oil painter in their effort to build confidence and aptitude as a painter, by removing the initial financial roadblocks that can discourage the embrace of a new venture. The scholarship is established to honor the memory of Kevin Quinan, who began painting at age 70 and continued until his death at age 78. Painting in his later years gave him great pleasure and a sense of accomplishment, as he learned the daunting task of creating works of art from a blank canvas. He was courageous in doing so, and found an excellent teacher with whom he studied painting continuously. It was his wish that others would be supported in their early stages as he was, and that classes at Newburyport Art would enable emerging artists to embrace painting as he did, making it a cornerstone of his later life.

    The Scholarship will fund the cost of tuition and materials (through reimbursement) for select oil painting classes at Newburyport Art, for an artist aged sixty and above, in their first two years of study. The scholarship will be awarded to one or more students per class. Applications will be reviewed by Kevin's widow and his daughter, with input from Newburyport Art staff.

    Look for eligibility information on our classes/workshop page!

  • One $7,500 grant will be awarded to an emerging or mid-career artist, for the purposes of traveling to paint or study in Europe. Applicants must be at least 21 years of age. This opportunity is otherwise open to all artists, worldwide. No membership required. Full details are available on the Fellowship website and within the application.

    Previous Application Deadline: January 15, 2023 (11:59pm, Eastern US)

    Visit the Fellowship Website

    Congratulations to the 2023 Fellow: Jared Brady

    The next Fellowship application has not yet been announced and is currently paused.


Congratulations to Newburyport Art’s 2023 winners…

  • Art Adventure Grant: Tanya Hayes Lee & Ellen Sullivan Taylor

  • Donald Jurney Traveling Fellowship: Jared Brady

  • MassArt Summer Studios Scholarship: Ava Maglio

  • ArtLink Scholarships

    • NAA Arbeit-Cheney Charitable Fund Scholarship: Ian Dent (Newburyport High School)

    • NAA Biese Family Scholarship: Lily Lotarski (Triton High School)

    • NAA Peter Kimmins Memorial Scholarship: Kajsa Woodger (Newburyport High School)

    • NAA Ronald Emmerling Scholarship: Julia Spalding (Pentucket High School)

    • NAA Sara Demrow Dent Scholarship: Avery Stephenson (Newburyport High School)

    • NAA Sue Keller Scholarship: Kayla Romaides (Triton High School)