Arts Advocates Awards $25,584 in Scholarships to Nine Local Students for the 2021-2022 School Year

June 25, 2021 – Sarasota

Arts Advocates recently awarded nine Sarasota and Manatee county students with $25,584 in scholarships for the 2021-2022 school year. Since 1969, the scholarship program has awarded over $1.1 million to students whose studies include visual and related arts, dance, writing, music, theater and architecture. All scholarship monies are generated through Arts Advocates activities. 

Jackie Salvino and Deb Altshul-Stark, Arts Advocates scholarship team co-chairs, agree: “Members of our organization are proud to support students in furthering their education in all fields of the arts. We are so impressed with our young scholars’ work, optimism, and drive to succeed. They are bright lights in our collective future.” 

Emily Cain is near the completion of her five-year program at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (Troy, NY) pursuing design architecture and exploring photography. She is a previous Arts Advocates scholarship recipient. 

Sophia Coscia is a freshman at Carnegie Mellon University (Pittsburgh, PA) where she will pursue a B.F.A. in theatrical production and design. She is the first scholarship awardee in this field of the arts. 

Thaleia Dasberg studies performing arts at Barnard College of Columbia University (New York, NY). This is her second year winning an Arts Advocates scholarship. 

Pablo Gonzalez is a student at Parson’s/The New School (New York, NY) majoring in communication design. This is the third year in which he has received an Arts Advocates scholarship.

Colin Leonard, co-founder of the jazz quartet Loose Change, is a freshman at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music (Oberlin, OH) majoring in jazz performance. 

Zaine Lodhi is a junior at Ringling College of Art and Design (Sarasota, FL), studying to become a visual development artist. 

Zoe Nikirk studies studio art and art history at the College of Arts and Architecture, Florida International University (Miami, FL) and is applying to an arts business program there as well. 

Luca Stine attends the University of Miami Frost School of Music (Coral Gables, FL), where he is majoring in jazz trumpet performance and minoring in classical composition. He plans to pursue master’s and doctoral degrees in jazz trumpet performance. 

Markella Wagner is in the creative writing program at Ringling College of Art and Design (Sarasota, FL). She is a first time Arts Advocates scholarship winner who intends to pursue a career in young adult literature. This past year, she had an article published in the New York Times. 

To learn more about Arts Advocates, visit artsadvocates.org.