Two Langley Students Earn Arts Scholarships

From the Arts Council of Fairfax County: The Arts Council of Fairfax County has awarded three graduating seniors with scholarships to support their continued education in visual and performing arts. By partnering with Fairfax County Public Schools and local arts organizations, the Arts Council provides recognition and scholarship opportunities for Fairfax students.

Nicole Orsolini from Langley High School received a $1,500 scholarship at the annual Scholastic Art & Writing Awards ceremony for her outstanding achievements in graphic design. “We were so impressed with Ms. Orsolini’s portfolio and thrilled to support her further studies in art at Virginia Commonwealth University,” said Linda Sullivan, President and CEO of the Arts Council. “Ms.Orsolini has a bright future in the arts.”

The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards program is the largest, longest-running recognition program of its kind in the United States. Established in 1923, the awards have recognized students who have become some of our nation’s most celebrated artists, including Richard Avedon, Robert Indiana, Phillip Pearlstein and Andy Warhol. More than 200,000 students participate in the program across the country. Over 2,000 Fairfax County Public School student artworks — ranging from drawings, paintings, prints, photographs, ceramics, sculptures, digital art, architecture, jewelry, fashion, film and animation, and mixed media artworks — are submitted annually for the competition.

Claire Griese, a student at Chantilly High School who dances at Encore Theatrical Arts Project, is the recipient of a dance scholarship. Ms. Griese will continue her studies in dance at Oklahoma City University.

The $1,000 scholarship was announced at the Virginia Dance Coalition’s annual gala. The dance scholarship is for graduating high school seniors who currently live or take classes at a Coalition member/dance studio in Fairfax County and who plan to pursue studies in dance. Scholarship money must be used for tuition at a college, university, conservatory or summer intensive program for the 2017/2018 school year. Dancers were required to submit an essay, faculty recommendations and a DVD of a dance performance for consideration.

“We are thrilled to award the 2017 dance scholarship to Claire Griese,” said Linda S. Sullivan. “Each year, these scholarships provide us with the chance to see the rising stars and artists in Fairfax County, and we look forward to seeing where Ms. Griese’s dance studies take her in the future.”

Jamie Goodson of Langley High School was presented with a drama scholarship at the annual Cappies Gala at the Kennedy Center on June 11. The Cappies is a writing and awards program that trains high school theatre and journalism students to be expert writers, critical thinkers, and leaders. Student critics vie to be published in local media outlets by attending productions at other schools and writing critical reviews, and in turn, the trained student critics honor stand out theatre students and productions.

“We are honored to begin this partnership with the Cappies and continue to award outstanding students with a scholarship to further their training after high school,” said Linda S. Sullivan. “There are many talented arts students in Fairfax County, and Jamie Goodson, as a student, has been stunning audiences for years at theatres across D.C. and the County.”

The Arts Council provides arts scholarships at the bequest of the Howard Uphoff estate to assist high school students in the fulfillment of their dream for artistic training. The Arts Council partners with Fairfax County Public Schools and locals arts organizations to adjudicate the awards. To find out more about the Arts Council’s Scholarships program, visit here.

Photo credit: Arts Council of Fairfax County