The Herb Alpert Foundation has increased its benefaction for The Herb Alpert Scholarships for Emerging Young Artists – a program administered by the California State Summer School for the Arts – by $1.3 million, bringing the Foundation’s total contribution for this initiative to $2.4 million.
CSSSA is a summer arts camp for high school students, who receive graduate-level training in animation, creative writing, dance, film, music, theatre and visual arts. Students who attend the four-week program at CalArts are eligible for these unique awards.
The top three students in each of the seven divisions, selected by CSSSA program directors, are awarded The Herb Alpert Scholarships for Emerging Young Artists. The first place winner in each arts class receives a $40,000 college scholarship and two other students per category are awarded $2,500 scholarships.
“It is very gratifying to help young people pursue their dreams,” Herb Alpert said. “The idea is for students to channel the passion they feel for art, through focused studies. I know it can lead them to professional success and personal fulfillment.”
The Foundation’s increased support for these college scholarships allows CSSSA to expand its previous six scholarship areas to seven for summer 2012, benefiting an additional three students with college aid every year. In addition to the HASEYA, another $30,000 is provided by the Foundation each year to CSSSA, earmarked as general financial assistance to help undeserved students attend this prestigious summer training program.
“We launched this new scholarship program in 2008 in collaboration with CSSSA, and have been thrilled to see the powerful impact it has made on so many aspiring, talented and motivated young artists. We have now decided to renew our support and expand the program to embrace seven disciplines-splitting film and animation into separate divisions,” said Rona Sebastian, president of the Herb Alpert Foundation.
Since 1987, 500 teenagers from every corner of the state of California, and 20 out-of-state students, have attended the successful annual summer program. CSSSA seeks to nurture the next generation of California artists by providing a residential pre-professional arts program for talented and motivated high school students.
Upon completion, students are named California Arts Scholars and are awarded the California Arts Scholar Medallion.
Michael Fields, director of CSSSA, talks of the support of the Foundation
“I have seen first hand the huge impact that Herb Alpert’s funding has had on emerging young artists,” he said. “I know of no other program like it. It is innovative, addresses a real need and it changes lives.”
Alpert has long believed in helping motivated young artists and the CSSSA summer program has supported such successful students as: actors Zac Efron and James Franco, recording artist Katharine McPhee, actress Kirsten Vangsness and Pixar animators Stephen Gregory, Sanjay Patel, Bobby Podesta, Mark Walsh and Nate Wragg.
“This [college] scholarship has allowed me to plan for my future without any restrictions. Being an artist does not provide great financial stability, and with this scholarship, I am able to reduce the financial burdens I will face in the future,” said 2011 Herb Alpert Emerging Young Artist for dance Charbel Rohayem. “The Herb Alpert Foundation has opened numerous doors for me, and has ultimately allowed me to strive to do my absolute best. I am very thankful and appreciative of the many opportunities this Foundation has provided me with.”
Applications are now available for CSSSA Summer 2012. For more information visit www.csssa.org.
