Scholarships and Awards
School of Art Scholarships and Awards
Each year the School of Art selects dozens of students for competitive awards, grants, and scholarships to recognize their outstanding scholarly and creative achievements and to support student travel, residencies, study abroad, and project materials. In 2024, the School of Art provided $154,000 in awards.
We are excited to announce this year’s application process and deadlines and encourage all students to take advantage of these opportunities. Recipients will be selected on a competitive basis by a committee of School of Art faculty each year.
First Year Scholarships
The School of Art offers multiple scholarships for incoming freshmen and transfer students seeking degrees in Art, Studio Art, Cinema Studies, or Art History. Available School of Art scholarships include the First Year Art Scholarship and the new Beauford and Joseph Delaney Knoxville Flagship Scholarship, which supports students who graduated from Knoxville’s flagship high schools — Austin-East, Central, and Fulton.
Step 1: Apply to UT by January 15, 2026
Apply to UT by the January 15 regular decision completion deadline in order to be considered for the First Year (Freshman Art Scholarship). If you wish to be considered for other competitive scholarships, apply by the priority deadline on December 15.
Step 2: Apply for the First Year Art Scholarship by March 15, 2026
To apply for UT’s freshman art scholarship, log in to the application portal using your UT Net ID and password. Click on the “Current Students” button to get started! Search for “Freshman Art Scholarship” and submit the supplemental application materials (see below for details). Save your work as you go, but don’t submit the application until you are ready! Once submitted, you cannot go back and change your application.
Having trouble finding your UT Net ID or password? Follow the instructions here.
(First Year Art Scholarship Applications will open in early 2026)
Beauford and Joseph Delaney Knoxville Flagship Scholarship
*Eligible applicants who apply for the First Year Art Scholarship will automatically be considered for the Beauford and Joseph Delaney Knoxville Flagship Scholarship; no additional application materials are required.*
The School’s new awards honor the legacy of Beauford and Joseph Delaney, renowned painters who attended the racially segregated Austin High School in Knoxville before it was merged with East High School in 1968 to form the integrated Austin East High School.
Synergistic with the UT Tri-Star Scholarship Program’s Flagship Scholarship, the new 4-year scholarships seek to increase access to arts education and will provide one student from each of Knoxville’s flagships with $2,000 in annual support. New scholarships will be awarded to admitted students annually.
To be eligible for the award, applicants must:
- Be a graduate from Knoxville’s flagship high schools — Austin-East, Central, or Fulton.
- Be admitted to attend the University of Tennessee as an undergraduate student and pursue degrees offered by the School of Art: B.A. degrees in Art, Art History, Cinema Studies or the BFA Studio Art degree.
- Demonstrate successful academic performance.
First Year Art Scholarship Eligibility and Application Materials
Applicants must be accepted to the University of Tennessee as full-time students enrolled in the School of Art for the entire 2024-2025 academic school year.
Required Supplemental Application Materials
• A statement of intent (600 word limit) that introduces you to the scholarship committee and describes why you want to study at the University of
Tennessee School of Art.
Optional Application Materials
A digital portfolio of no more than 10 digital images or video/sound art links of your work compiled into a single document. Include descriptions of your
work listing the work’s title, dimensions, and media. Files can be no larger than 25MB and must be formatted as one of the following file types:
• JPEG or PNG image
• MP4 video
• PDF document
• Rich text file
• Word file
• PowerPoint file
If you’re an art history major, you may submit an optional research paper or essay instead of a portfolio (up to 10 pages).
Past Winners
2023: Rachel Huff | Megan McEloy | Myla Louden | Greta Grier
2022: Owen Canter | Bradon Loughry | Gabriela McNamee
2021: Grace Sutt | Mayson Knipp
2020: Angelica Rose Nepomuceno | Kelly Olchawa
2019: Korra Brawner | Aya Rutherford | Hannah Sorensen
2018: Thais Lloyd | Jaxon Tolbert | Grace Favier
2017: Ashlynn Guo | Jill Culver
Have any questions?
Please contact Shelley Gentry at sgentry1@utk.edu.
Undergraduate Scholarships
School of Art Scholarships are awarded through a faculty jury of student applications and portfolios. Eligibility for the various awards is described in the application form links below. Awardees of 2024-2025 scholarships will be notified via email in the spring.
Incoming first-year students are not eligible for the awards listed below and should apply for First Year (Freshman) Art Scholarships. If you have questions, contact the School of Art at art@utk.edu.
SOA Study Abroad Scholarships – Apply by February 15, 2026
All students currently enrolled in and pursuing an undergraduate or graduate degree (first and second year only) in the School of Art are eligible. Applicants must demonstrate successful academic performance and financial need, and be registered in the School of Art in the semester following their travel.
Apply by February 15, 2026
Note: Applicants seeking funding to support travel for research or creative activity should complete the SOA Travel Award application, and those seeking funding for residency should complete the SOA Residency and Internship Award application.
The application portal will open in early 2026
SOA Travel Award
The School of Art Scholarship Committee awards travel support to proposals for artistic and research projects, or scholarly activity. Recipients of the grant will be expected to have their project completed by the end of the following fall semester. Upon completion of the project, a public presentation — either a public lecture, an exhibition, or another appropriate publication venue — is required.
Apply by April
Tips on submitting your digital portfolio
Note: Applicants seeking funding for residencies should complete the SOA Residency and Internship Award application. Applicants seeking travel funding to support study abroad should complete the SOA Study Abroad Scholarship application.
SOA Materials Grants – Apply by April 3, 2026
The School of Art Scholarship Committee awards funding for materials to support undergraduate students’ studio work. This grant is intended to be used in the exploration or creation of the student’s artistic practice rather than used for unrelated commissions. Upon completion of the project, a public presentation — either a public lecture, an exhibition, or another appropriate publication venue — is required.
Apply by April 3, 2026
The application portal will open in early 2026
SOA Undergraduate Merit and Financial Need Awards – Apply by March 15, 2026
All students currently enrolled in and pursuing an undergraduate degree program in the School of Art. Applicants must demonstrate successful academic performance and financial need, and have at least one semester of study left within the School of Art. A minimum cumulative 2.75 GPA in School of Art courses is required.
Apply by March 15, 2026
The application portal will open in early 2026.
SOA Residency and Internship Awards
The School of Art Scholarship Committee is accepting applications for the support of residency and internship opportunities. Recipients of the grant will be expected to have their project completed by the end of the following fall semester. Upon completion of the project, a public presentation — either a public lecture, an exhibition, or another appropriate publication venue — is required.
The deadline to apply to 2026 awards will be announced in late 2025.
Note: Applicants seeking travel funding to support study abroad should complete the SOA Study Abroad Scholarship application.
Undergraduate Honors Exhibition Competition
All outstanding School of Art senior students pursuing undergraduate degrees in the fields of ceramics, drawing, painting, printmaking, photography, printmaking, sculpture, and time-based art art are eligible to apply to participate in the Undergraduate Honors Exhibition Competition at the Ewing Gallery of Art + Architecture. Applicants must demonstrate successful academic performance and be scheduled to graduate in the year of the award.
Carringer-Martin Cinema Studies Award
The Carringer-Martin Cinema Studies Award is an academic award presented each year to an exemplary Cinema Studies student. The award is granted to the student who submits the most exceptional paper demonstrating original thought, critical analysis, and a sophisticated understanding of cinematic theory, history, or practice. The paper must be from a CNST or cross-listed course at the 300- or 400-level. This award aims to encourage and celebrate excellence in the study and analysis of cinema.
The deadline to apply to 2026 awards will be announced in late 2025.
Previous Scholarship Recipients
2022 Scholarship Recipients
Residency / Internship Award
Savannah Clay
Travel Award
Allison Cochrane and Meliya Evans
Merit Award
Hannah Crowe, Guido Del Rosso, Grace Sutt, Chloe Hux, Arcadia Moncrief, Dana Kim, Wesley Roden, S.K. Yi, and Chloe Baker
Other Awards
Elliot Ashlock, Rick Berry, Yilan Dukes, Jacob Gallagher, John Houston, Arcadia Moncrief, Wendi Tang, and Samantha Vance
Kimberly D. Iles Art Scholarships
Oralia Acosta, Sculpture; Chloe Baker, TBA Art; Chloe Hux, Printmaking; Jua Im, Graphic Design; Jackson Jalomo, Drawing; Adam Kreider, Photography; Emma Loy, Painting; Aya Rutherford, Art History; Jessica Taylor, Graphic Design; and Emmersen Waugh, Cinema Studies.
2023 Scholarship Recipients
Undergraduate Materials Awards
Sarah Karina Caoile
Dauphin Romersa
Chante Thomas
Undergraduate Travel Award (Study Abroad)
Diana Dalton
Undergraduate Residency
Nicole O’Connor (Arrowmont)
Undergraduate Merit Scholarship
Hannah Crowe
Adam Kreider
Diana Dalton
Riley Mroz
Undergraduate Scholarships
Grace Sutt
Alexis Pellicciotti
Caleb Cho
Leigh Shields
Robert Myrick
Hannah Crowe
Kylie Sliger
College of Arts & Sciences Painting and Drawing Competition
Brandon Pham
Kimberly D. Iles Scholarship Awards – Video Presentation
Somerset Alley | Painting
Kenzie Felkins | Drawing
Isabel Fitzhugh | Printmaking
Carter Goss | Graphic Design
Kaylee Hale | 4D/TB Art
Joss Kitts | Sculpture
Adam Kreider | Photography
Grace Olen | Cinema Studies
Sheridan (Dani) Stanford | Art History
Jessica Taylor | Graphic Design
Josephine Vandivort | Ceramics
2024 Scholarship Recipients
School of Art First Year Undergraduate Merit Award
Daveney Winterburn
Undergraduate Materials Awards
Adam Krieder
Undergraduate Travel Award and Study Abroad Awards
Kathryn Lamb
Grace Sutt
Undergraduate Merit Scholarship
Chloe Baker
Desirea Burke
Lilian Call
Jack Cloar
Nicholas Esposito
Nathaniel Evans
Greta Grier
Caleb McNeil
Maria Mitchell
Riley Mroz
Natalie Murty
Peyton Schutt
Kylie Sliger
Hannah Smith
Grace Sutt
Jenniffer Vespa
Other Awards
Adrianna Brown
Desirea Burke
Sara Karina Caoile
Nathaniel Evans
Maria Mitchell
Wesley Reagan
Grace Russell
Kylie Sliger
Tracy Yu
Kimberly D. Iles Scholarship Awards
Laura Smith | Art History
Emma Mae Toledo | Ceramics
Elle Hoyt | Cinema
Sara Karina Caoile | Drawing
Adele Ferguson | Painting
Abbie (Bea) Moore | Photo
Grace Russell | Printmaking
Rachel O’Donnell | Sculpture
Benjamin Sechrest | Time-Based Arts
Martin-Carringer Cinema Studies Scholarship
Justin Falin
Avery Dixon
School of Art Undergraduate Residency / Internship Award
Kylie Sliger
2025 Scholarship Recipients
School of Art Study Abroad Scholarship
Greta Grier
Harley Diamond
Maria “Joe” Mitchell
Dorothy Dille Art Scholarship
Cyrah Miller
Harley Diamond
Nathan Ball
Mary Lynn Glustoff Scholarship
Sara Caoile
Orin B. & Erma G. Graff Scholarship
Adele Ferguson
Archie Guy
Avery Flatford
Caleb McNeil
Casey Bridges
Daveney Winterburn
Desirea Burke
Ethan Cheatwood
Fen Hoffman
Grace Russell
Grace Sutt
Grace Williams
Hannah Smith
James Brown
Kalynn Ball
Kaylee Hale
Lilian Call
Maisy Williams
Maria “Joe” Mitchell
Myla Louden
Nathaniel Evans
Nina McLean
Riley Mroz
Sara Caoile
Tracy Yu
Wesley Reagan
School of Art Recruitment and Recognition Award
Archie Guy
Kaylee Hale
Nathaniel Evans
T .H. & Jeanette Gillespie Art Scholarship
Greta Grier
Lola Reyes
Joseph Delaney Art Scholarship
Fen Hoffman
Grace Russell
Grace Sutt
Grace Williams
Maria “Joe” Mitchell
Tracy Yu
The Knox Watercolor Society Scholarship
Greta Grier
Linda Riley Simcox Art Scholarship
Hannah Smith
Martin-Carringer Cinema Studies Scholarship
Ainsley Lamar
Walker Smith
Wesley Reagan
The Knox Watercolor Society Scholarship
Greta Grier
Linda Riley Simcox Art Scholarship
Hannah Smith
Martin-Carringer Cinema Studies Scholarship
Ainsley Lamar
Walker Smith
Wesley Reagan
Kimberly D. Iles Art Scholarship (2025–2026)
Angelica Ruhbusch
Avery Flatford
Desirea Burke
Catherine Ferguson
Grace Sutt
Gwen Aguilar
Juliet Barton
Maria “Joe” Mitchell
Nathan Ball
Have scholarship questions?
Contact the School of Art at art@utk.edu