Tampa, Fla. (May 26, 2018) – Tampa Bay Businesses for Culture & the Arts (“TBBCA”) is pleased to announce the 2020 Charlie Hounchell Art Stars Scholarships awardees:
Visual Arts – Isabella Robe (Howard W. Blake High School)
Dance – Caroline Henk (Land O’Lakes High School)
Theatre –Jordan Lakins (Blake High School)
Vocal Music –Eileen Lee (PCCA Gibbs High School)
Instrumental Music -Karishma Chapalamadugu (Strawberry Crest High School)
Literary Arts –Vinh Hoang (Blake High School)
Since the program was founded in 2008 by TBBCA past board president, the late Charlie Hounchell, the non-profit has awarded over $200,000 to more than 80 students, the majority from public high schools. “TBBCA is very pleased to continue to offer these high impact scholarships,” remarked Stephen Gay, TBBCA board president and chair of the Art Stars Scholarships program. “The financial tuition assistance and other support comes at a crucial juncture in the academic and future professional careers of these deserving young artists and performers.”
“The unusual circumstances of this challenging year highlight more than ever the importance of our non-profit’s support for students to pursue higher education in the arts,” said TBBCA Executive Director Susana Weymouth. “TBBCA is grateful to our Chair’s Circle and other pARTners whose philanthropic contributions sustain the scholarships program.” Weymouth went on to acknowledge, “Special thanks to the Hieronymus Foundation, and long-time supporters Michael and Linda Connelly, for their generous donation. Their gift will provide critical financial aid and additional support to graduating scholarship recipients.” Internationally best-selling author and television producer Michael Connelly served as the first Literary Arts judge for the Art Stars Scholarships program.
The scholarship winners were selected based on their talent and merit by judges expert in their fields: Lisa Unger, award-winning New York Times and internationally best-selling author; Joanna Robotham, Curator for Modern and Contemporary Art, Tampa Museum of Art; Helen Hansen French; Juilliard graduate, choreographer/dancer/educator, and founder of dance collectives; Eugenie Bondurant, acclaimed film and television actor, singer, and educator; Paul Wilborn, Director of The Palladium, band leader and musician, author of the recently published Cigar City; and Dawne Eubanks, classical soloist and voice instructor at Eckerd College and Pinellas County Center for the Arts at Gibbs High School. This year the judges’ introductions and the young scholarship awardees talents will be showcased virtually and filmed in pARTnership with CineView Studios, led by Chris Jackson. “We are excited to pARTner with TBBCA on this scholarships program that rewards and encourages the endeavors of artistic prodigies in instrumental and vocal music, theater, dance, visual and literary arts,” said Jackson.
To donate to the scholarships and for more information on the 2020 recipients and judges visit https://www.tbbca.org/programs-events/art-stars-scholarships/
ABOUT MICHAEL CONNELLY
Michael Connelly is the award-winning, NYT #1 bestselling author of thirty-four novels and one work of non-fiction. With over 70 million copies of his books sold worldwide and translated into forty foreign languages, he is one of the most successful writers working today. Connelly’s much anticipated newest novel FAIR WARNING debuts this month. Connelly is currently producing a TV series for Amazon Studios called Bosch, based on his novels. It began streaming on Amazon Prime in early 2015, and is currently in its 6th season.
ABOUT CINEVIEW STUDIOS
CineView Studios is Tampa Bay’s premier video production and photography company. Comprised of award-winning, collaborative artists, with an unrivaled passion for crafting unique and engaging stories, the team at CineView brings their experience and skills to production. CineView has earned multiple regional festival wins for narrative work and photography, and been published both nationally and internationally.
ABOUT TBBCA
Tampa Bay BCA, founded in 1989, is one of the national Business Committees for the Arts, and member of the private sector network and national pARTnership Movement of Americans for the Arts. TBBCA’s mission is to unite businesses to champion arts and culture for a prosperous community – “The arts are good for business, and business is good for the arts”. The 501 (c) 3 non-profit is sustained by the support of donors, including Chair’s Circle pARTners: Premier Eye Care, Stephen Gay Group, Hieronymus Foundation, the Gobioff Foundation, the Vinik Family Foundation, Strategic Property Partners, Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick, Ogletree Deakins, BNY Mellon Wealth Management, Stearns Weaver Miller, Wells Fargo and Wells Fargo Private Bank, University of Tampa, Bank OZK, Tampa Bay Magazine, Tampa Bay Times, ChappellRoberts, and others. For information contact TBBCA Executive Director 813-221-2787 www.tbbca.org