Local Teens Earn Art Scholarships

Eleven young Des Plaines residents will be attending camps, taking classes, and honing their skills this summer thanks to their scholarships from The Des Plaines Art Council.

Four middle school and seven high school students received scholarships ranging from $250 to $500 for classes, private lessons, and other learning opportunities in disciplines ranging from ballet to cello.

The council has awarded more than $40,000 in scholarships since 1997 and this year its awards totaled $4,500.

“We were blown away by the quantity and quality of the applications from our young people,” said Christy Piszkiewicz, a member of the Des Plaines Art Council. She added that the organization received about 120 applications for the scholarships this year.

Arthur Stashak, a 12th grade student at Canada’s National Ballet School, has been a three-time winner of the council’s scholarship. He has performed in Joffrey Ballet’s Nutcracker, spent summers in intensive training at the Corella Ballet in Segovia, Spain, and danced with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.

“This gives kids the opportunity to try something different,” Piszkiewicz said. “It’s just remarkable.”

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Applicants must be Des Plaines residents and can be in grades five through 12. Graduating high school seniors can put the scholarship money toward fine arts college credits. There are no financial eligibility requirements and judges look at an applicant’s experience and passion for a particular field. Students can be from public or private schools in Des Plaines.

The 2012 middle school award recipients were Joey Galvan, Danielle Kadamian, Bhagirath Mehta, and Megan Swanson; high school recipients were Elise Adams, Caitlin Cadwalder, Simon Giavaras, Nicole Jovicevic, Kathryn Moro, Angela Remus, and Arthur Stashak.