Saturday, June 1, 2024
The Edmonds Arts Festival Foundation Student Art Scholarship Program, generously funded by an endowment, is dedicated to nurturing promising art students.
This year, the program proudly awarded 22 scholarships, totaling $35,000, from a pool of 28 applicants. The EAF Foundation gives scholarships to graduating high school seniors and college-level students who pursue post-secondary education in visual arts.
The scholarship committee (Barbara Norgaard-Reid, Mary Monfort, Lisa Palmatier, Vivian Olson, and Michelle Smith) selects winners based on their art portfolio, academic performance, and compelling essays.
The 2024 Scholarship recipients, a diverse group of talented individuals, gathered at Edmonds Artworks on Wednesday, May 29, for a ceremony to celebrate their hard work. The audience included student artists, their families, friends and Arts Festival board members.
Norgaard-Reid hosted the evening. Each recipient stood up to introduce themselves, presented their submitted work, and thanked their family and friends in attendance. Scholarship recipients shared their artistic journey and expressed their gratitude for the support they have received.
In addition to collecting their certificates and scholarships, ARTspot Edmonds donated gift cards for art supplies to the student artists.
The submitted pieces varied in style and medium. Emery Farstad submitted an artist book on Corita Kent. June Decasso made a documentary about Scriber Lake High School.
Vevia Reutov loves to draw otherworldly beings. Her piece, a woman-mushroom hybrid, has a short story she crafted to pair with her work. Colton Grant built a coffee table from repurposed wood scraps.
Zoya Kulikov-Wickizer, a distinguished senior at the University of Washington, was honored with the top scholarship award of $5,000. Kulikov-Wickizer has received the Foundation’s scholarship each year she has been in school. Her painting, A Harvest Mice Man Named Frank, was made in an oil painting class during the winter quarter.
While presenting, she joked, “We spent a lot of time together, and as he came to life on the canvas, I named him Frank, so this is Frank.” “Hi, Frank,” the audience replied with a laugh. She continued, “Oil painting really surprised me. It was my first time doing it this year, and I have only done two before this one, so I’m really happy with how this came out.”
Kulikov-Wickizer’s future plans include becoming an art teacher, inspired by her high school art teacher, Mr. Washburn of Lynnwood High School. She also dreams of starting a small business with the goal of spreading joy through her art.
Kulikov-Wickizer plans to graduate with a degree in visual arts from the University of Washington in 2025. She will take two studio art classes every quarter next year.
Of her degree, she said, “It’s a melting pot of a bunch of different mediums put together.” Her diverse interests and dedication to art make her a unique and inspiring individual.
“I’m so grateful to have received this scholarship; it means the world to me,” she said.
2024 scholarship winners
The complete list of scholarship winners are: Alexandria Ashley (Edmonds College 2025 graduate), Colton Grant (University of Washington 2027 Graduate), Eloise Hart (Edmonds College 2026 graduate), Emilia Thorn (University of Washington 2026 graduate), Kavina LaDean (Edmonds College 2025 graduate, LaDean is also a Co-Director for Kids Create at the Arts Festival), Kyan Mock (Edmonds College 2025 fraduate), Makayla Tourtellot (Edmonds College 2028 graduate), Melanie Steier (Cornish College 2027 graduate), Mudabrah Amber (Mountlake Terrace HS, Fall: Edmonds College 2026 graduate), Noelle Peck (Fashion Institute of Technology 2026 graduate), Susanna Lee (Lynwood HS, Fall: Ringling College 2028 graduate), Sylvia Rickman (University of Washington 2026 graduate), Trevor Leen (University of Washington 2025 graduate), Vevia Reutov (Edmonds College 2025 graduate), Zoya Kulikov-Wickizer (University of Washington 2025 graduate), Hana Berisha (Western Washington University 2025 graduate), June Decasso (Scriber Lake HS, Fall: Cornish College 2028 graduate), Kalyani Blackwell (San Jose State University 2028 graduate), Emery Farstad (Biola University 2025 graduate), Gannon Alvarado (Mountlake Terrace HS, Fall: Edmonds College 2028 graduate), Grace DeSota (Oregon State University 2026 graduate), Haley Fisker-Andersen (Mountlake Terrace HS, Fall Western Washington University 2028 graduate).
Attendees of the Edmonds Arts Festival (June 14-16, Frances Anderson Center, 700 Main Street, Edmonds) are encouraged to visit Room 207, where they can find the Scholarship Art alongside photography and digital art.
The Edmonds Arts Festival still needs volunteers, especially those who know how to operate Square Cash. Click here to apply.
— By Elizabeth Murray
Elizabeth Murray is a freelance writer thankful to call Edmonds home. When she’s not busy wrangling her two kids (and husband), you can find her playing ukulele. She can be reached at elmm22@gmail.com.
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