Art Scholarships

Distinguished Art Faculty Scholarship

The Distinguished Art Faculty Scholarship is awarded annually each spring semester. Students are nominated by faculty members and are then required to submit a portfolio for review by the faculty. Recipients are then selected based on grade point averages overall and in art and on artistic ability.


Clem Otis Memorial Art Scholarship

The Clem Otis Memorial Art Scholarship was established by the Otis family in 1983 in honor of Mrs. Clem Otis. She was an accomplished landscape artist who touched the memories of people across the country with her oils and acrylics. This scholarship is awarded annually each spring and paintings submitted for this scholarship must be done in oil. The recipient of this scholarship must have a 2.5 grade point average at Sam Houston State University.


Elkins Lake Kuntz-Nelson Memorial Art Scholarship

The Elkins Lake Kuntz-Nelson Memorial Art Scholarship was established in 1988 by the board of Elkins Lake Art League to enable young artists to pursue and encourage excellence in painting. This scholarship is awarded annually each spring and paintings submitted for this scholarship may be of any medium. The recipient must maintain a 2.5 grade point average overall and a 3.0 in Art and have at least one full year of studies left to complete at Sam Houston State University. Applications for this scholarship are available in the Art office.


Emmette Jackson Endowed Scholarship

The Emmette Jackson Endowed Scholarship Fund was established in 1995 in honor of Emmette Jackson to provide financial assistance to worthy photography majors. This scholarship is awarded annually each spring and a committee of photography faculty shall select the recipient of the scholarship. Recipients must be enrolled at Sam Houston State University, majoring in Photography, maintain a 2.5 grade point average overall, and be classified as a junior or senior.


James B. and Marilyn C. Shepard Scholarship

The James B. and Marilyn C. Shepard Scholarship was established in 1999. This scholarship is awarded annually each spring and faculty members select the recipient. The recipient must be a native-born US citizen, be a student in good standing enrolled at Sam Houston State University majoring in Art and maintain a 2.5 grade point average overall. First preference will be for students studying sculpture.


Jesse H. Jones and Mary Gibbs Jones Endowed Scholarship

The Jesse H. Jones and Mary Gibbs Jones Endowed Scholarships are awarded to outstanding full-time resident Liberal Arts or Graphic Arts majors who have maintained a 3.0 grade point average at Sam Houston State University. Jesse H. Jones and Mary Gibbs Jones Endowed Scholars will receive $500 per semester for the fall and spring semester following the award. 

Application deadline: November 1 (preferred unless otherwise indicated).  Applications should be submitted through Scholarships4Kats.


Kenneth Zonker Endowment

The Kenneth Zonker Endowment Fund was established in 2003 by the Zonker family in honor of Kenneth Zonker. This scholarship is awarded annually and a committee within the Art Department selects the recipient. The recipient must be a full-time student at Sam Houston State University majoring in Art, submit one piece of artwork (in any medium) that was not used for a class project or grade, and was created without supervision, and maintain a 3.0 grade point average in Art. Applications for this scholarship are available in the Art office.


Madison Wolfe Photography Scholarship Fund

Recipient must be a full-time sophomore or above, have completed at least six photography hours in-residence at SHSU, appreciate and respect photography whether or not that is his/her final career choice and submit a portfolio of six to eight photographic images.  Upon accepting the scholarship, recipients agree to submit at the end of each semester a one-page essay (minimum of 100 words) relating to their academic growth and respect for photography.  GPA of 2.50 is required.  Applications are available in the Art Office.

Scholarship amount: varies per year. Deadline: spring semester. 


Marion St. John Baker Scholarship

The Marion St. John [pronounced “sinn jinn”] Baker Scholarship was established in 1990 by Paul Culp and Joan Bowler Culp in honor of their friendship with Mrs. Baker and to perpetuate her memory. Mrs. Baker lived in Sydney, Australia and was active in artistic circles. She championed often-controversial political causes, e.g. nuclear bans, Aboriginal rights, and government aid to the arts. This scholarship is awarded annually each spring and students may submit three-dimensional works of sculpture, jewelry or ceramics to be juried. Recipient must be a good general student with a 3.0 grade point average overall, must show outstanding abilities in one of the three-dimensional art forms such as ceramics, jewelry or sculpture and have at least one full year of studies left to complete at Sam Houston State University. Applications for this scholarship are available in the Art office.


Robert A. and Carolyn W. Werner Scholarship

Recipient must be a full-time undergraduate student in good standing enrolled at Sam Houston State University, majoring in any program within the Department of Art and demonstrate financial need. GPA of 3.00 is required. Applications are available in the Art office.

Scholarship amount: $1,000 per year. Deadline: Fall Semester. 


Ruth Wynne Thomason Hollinshead Endowment Fund in Art

The Ruth Wynne Thomason Hollinshead Endowment Fund in Art was established in 2002 in memory of Ruth Wynne Thomason Hollinshead. The recipient of this scholarship must be a student in good standing enrolled at Sam Houston State University majoring in any discipline within the Art Department, demonstrate financial need, and maintain a 3.0 grade point average overall. This scholarship is awarded annually each spring and faculty members select the recipient.


Stanley E. and Ruth L. Lea Endowed Scholarship

Recipient must be a full-time sophomore, junior, senior or graduate student in good standing, majoring in Art, exhibit exceptional creative talent and ability in his/her studies in the art of printmaking or drawing (excluding computer graphics and photo-based processes).  GPA of 3.0 in art is required.  For additional information contact the Department of Art, (936)294-4311.

Scholarship amount: varies.


Student Art Association Endowed Scholarship

Recipient must be a full-time sophomore, junior, senior, or graduate student in good standing enrolled at SHSU and majoring in any discipline within the Department of Art, and be an active member of the Student Art Association.  An overall GPA of 2.75 is required.  A GPA of 3.25 is required in their major. For additional information, contact the Art Department, (936)294-4311, SHSU Box 2089 Huntsville, TX 77341.

Scholarship amount: $1,000 per year. Deadline: spring semester. 


Weldon Hall Jr. Scholarship

The Weldon Hall Jr. Endowment in Art was established in 2004 in honor of Weldon Hall Jr. Recipients of this award must be an entering freshman at Sam Houston State University majoring in Art and submit artwork to the art department for review by the faculty. Applications for this scholarship are available in the Art office.


For further information, please contact the Department of Art, SHSU, Box 2089, Huntsville, Texas, 77341-2208. (936)294-4311.