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The Coconut Grove Arts Festival Board of Directors is thrilled to continue its long-standing tradition of honoring local students who excel in creative arts, with the announcement of 16 winners for the 2024 scholarship program.
Each of the Miami-Dade County high-school scholarship recipients will be awarded a $3,000 check during a family-and-friends ceremony on Sunday, June 2, from 2 to 4 p.m. Works by these exceptionally talented artists will also be exhibited during the event, which takes place at the Courtyard Miami Coconut Grove, 2649 S. Bayshore Dr., Miami, FL 33133.
Held annually over Presidents’ Day weekend for over 60 years, the CGAF is one of the most internationally acclaimed outdoor fine-arts festivals. However, as Chairman of the Board Dave Hill acknowledges, the vision and creativity of the young artists themselves is truly the driving force – and CGAF’s Board of Directors remains dedicated to encouraging rising new talent.
“These young artists are beyond remarkable. To be able to honor the outstanding contributions of budding artists in our community, in addition to helping further their education, is simply the best and most important task that our Board undertakes each year,” Hill adds.
CGAF manages an annual scholarship fund totaling $75,000, of which $48,000 is being provided this year to the current roster of high-school graduates, with the balance going to select students attending Florida International University arts programs.
Engaging Young Minds through Education
The CGAF continues to expand its outreach to mold the future generations of fine art creators. In addition to the annual scholarship, CGAF proudly provides enhanced programs such as the Emerging Arts; Visiting Artists who provide workshops for students at local schools; and the Young Collectors Club, which is hosted each year during the three-day festival to encourage young people to acquire their first-ever art pieces. Additionally, CGAF donates art supplies to area schools.
Executive Director Camille Marchese is very familiar with the importance of allowing an artists passion for the arts come alive. As Executive Director, her primary objective is to ensure that the level of art at the annual outdoor art show remains second to none; while widening the benevolent efforts of the Coconut Grove Arts Festival organization.
Noting that CGAF’s scholarship program, in particular, provides brilliant students with crucial educational funding that will help advance their studies, Marchese emphasizes, “We remain committed to fostering new talent and believe that by doing so, we are cultivating self-expression and providing promising young artists with a positive, creative outlet. We are honored to be able to continue to motivate these artists who, in turn, motivate us.”
2024 CGAF Scholarship Recipients
The scholarship is open to seniors enrolled in Miami-Dade Public Schools. The selection of these incredibly talented students is rigorous, as a jury of professional artists and art educators expertly review their art portfolios, artists’ statements, and teacher recommendations to select the final 16 winners.
The following graduating seniors are the 2024 recipients of the Coconut Grove Arts Festival Scholarship program (school in parenthesis denotes where each student plans to next attend):
- Federica Atabaki: Design and Architecture Senior High School (Carnegie Mellon University)
- Lizandra Amador: Senior Miami Senior High (Florida International University)
- Nicole Bosch: New World School of the Arts (Otis School of Art & Design)
- Sandro Daniel Castellanos: Miami Lakes Education Center
- Katrine Eliev: New World School of Arts (Cooper Union for the Advance of Science & Art)
- Sophia Kessler: Michael Krop Senior High (Broward College)
- Rocio Laucerica: Design & Architecture Senior High (Washington University in St. Louis)
- Ashani Lillie: New World School of the Arts (Kansas City Art Institute)
- Saily Milian: New World School of the Arts (Florida International University)
- Cing Nuam: New World School of the Arts (Otis College of Art & Design)
- Hannah Mesa: Jose Marti MAST 6-12 Academy (Syracuse University)
- Elise Olazabal: Design & Architecture Senior High (Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design)
- Jeannie Paguaga: South Miami Senior High (Middlebury College)
- Sophia Regalado-McCoy: New World School of the Arts (Pratt Institute)
- Manola Silva-Hanson: New World School of the Arts (accepted at CalArts, California College of the Arts, Kansas City Art Institute, and NYU Tisch)
- Sasha Stoppi: New World School of the Arts (Savannah College of Art & Design)
About the Coconut Grove Arts Festival
Spanning three days over Presidents’ Day weekend, the annual Coconut Grove Arts Festival is the region’s premier art festival celebrating the fine arts with live performances and local flavors. As one of the largest art festivals in the United States, thousands of people gather each year along Coconut Grove’s waterfront streets to view the works of nearly 300 internationally known and jury-selected artists across 15 visual categories.
Produced by the nonprofit, 501(c)(3), Coconut Grove Arts & Historical Association, festival proceeds are used to fund the Annual Scholarship Program and other education and outreach programs such as the New & Emerging Artists Program and the High School Mentoring Series.
For information, visit the Coconut Grove Arts Festival website at https://cgaf.com/.
