Emerging Texas Artists Scholarship Program

underwritten by James Avery Craftsman

2007 Emerging Artist Winners

2008 Applications

The Emerging Texas Artist Program is a program conceived by the Foundation and was initiated at the 2002 Official Texas State Arts & Crafts Fair.  The Emerging Texas Artist Program is an annual program awarding scholarships directly from Foundations supporting the arts, Commercial sponsors of the Fair, and The Texas Arts and Crafts Educational Foundation, Inc.

 The specific goals of the program are:

• Recognize new up-and-coming Texas Artists
• Award scholarships or cash awards to the student artists
• Provide a venue for the students to experience selling their works
• Provide a venue for collectors, gallery owners and employers to meet new artists
• Expose art students to the retail fair trade as way to make a living
• Expose art students to other art and artists from around the state
• Provide a venue for art schools to promote their programs to interested artists
• Provide a venue for art schools to receive statewide recognition
• Promote cultural tourism in Texas and specifically the Hill Country

The program entails providing space at the fair for the students to exhibit and sell their works of art in one of thirteen categories. The students are mentored by our professional exhibitors in booth set up and pricing of art works.  A juried competition limited to the students to recognize the Emerging Texas Artist and a runner-up and special mention in each of the categories of art. The winners of the competition are awarded scholarships or cash awards from the Foundations and from Fair sponsors.  The students and their works are exposed to the Fair’s 20,000+ attendees who purchase over $800,000 worth of art each year at the Fair. The Foundation also generates press releases and promotional materials to provide recognition throughout the state for the participants, schools and winners of the Emerging Texas Artist Competition. 

The students are grouped in booths by art school with signage designating the art school being represented. Their booth locations will be mixed among the professional artist exhibitors. The schools have the opportunity to distribute school literature and discuss their art programs in detail with prospective students and attendees.  

The maiden voyage of the Emerging Texas Artist Program in 2002 was attended by nine students representing three universities.  Each year the program has grown.   

The importance and success of this program was recognized by James Avery Jewelers, In 2006 they committed to $75,000 over five years for the scholarship program.