Arizona Artists Guild
Exhibition artwork

Arizona Artists Guild

31st Annual Visual Arts Scholarship

Phoenix, AZ

March 1, 2027

Deadline is February 15th. 19 weeks left to enter.
Find Open Calls

About the Scholarship

Arizona Artists Guild (AAG) is pleased to announce the 31st annual call for applicants for the AAG Visual Arts Scholarships. Thanks to generous donors, AAG has awarded over $300,000 in scholarships since 1993, supporting full-time fine art students from Arizona's universities and community colleges.

Scholarships are awarded each spring based on the quality of a cohesive body of work, clear documentation, and a well-written personal statement. AAG is proud to partner with leading arts organizations: the Arizona Watercolor Association, Scottsdale Artist League, and the Arizona Clay Association, plus many esteemed private donors to fund these awards.

The scholarship funds are directly deposited into the student's college bursar account.

For a list of previous recipients and to see images of their work, please click here.

Awards

A total of $11,000 will be awarded across the following scholarships:
  • AAG Ruth Magadini Scholarship: $1,000. All media considered.
  • AAG Erin O'Dell Scholarship: $1,000. All media considered.
  • AAG Curran-Bleakney Scholarship: $1,200. All media considered.
  • AAG Scholarship: Up to $1,600. All media considered.
  • AAG / AWA Del Decil Scholarship: $1,000. All watermedia considered.
  • AAG / AWA Robert Oliver Scholarship: $1,000. All watermedia considered.
  • AAG / AWA Members Scholarship: $1,000. All watermedia considered.
  • AAG / SAL Nancy L. Maloney Fiber Arts Scholarship: $1,200. All fiber media considered.
  • AAG / Scottsdale Artist League Scholarship: $1,000. All media considered.
  • AAG / Arizona Clay Association Scholarship: $1,000. All ceramic media considered.
Note: Applicants to the AAG Scholarship Program are automatically considered for all applicable award categories. You do not need to specify which scholarship you are applying for.

Online Exhibition

Award recipients will have all submitted works of art and up to 3 additional recent works included in an online Gallery exhibition.

Membership

All applicants will receive membership in the Arizona Art Alliance and Arizona Artists Guild. Recipients of the participating arts organizations' scholarships, Arizona Watercolor Association (AWA), Scottsdale Artists League (SAL), and Arizona Clay Association (AZ Clay), will receive a complimentary one-year membership.

This provides awardees with valuable opportunities for networking, mentoring, leadership development, juried exhibitions, workshops, and other professional activities. Recipients can connect with more than 4000 local artists while gaining firsthand experience participating in an established arts organization. These opportunities are especially valuable for students looking to build professional relationships, strengthen their résumés, and become more involved in Arizona's arts community. All award recipients are encouraged to take full advantage of their membership and actively participate in AAG, AWA, SAL, AZ Clay and Arizona Art Alliance.

Meet the Jurors and Scholarship Committee

The AAG Scholarship Committee is chaired by Tess Mosko Scherer and Sheri Ashton.
Jurors are: Heidi Dauphin, Dyanne Locati, Cyndie Peterson, Mary Beth Burgeson, Laura Cohen-Hogan, Ann Osgood, and David L. Bradley. Click here to learn more about each juror.

Eligibility

  • Continuing, full-time undergraduate or graduate students in a fine/studio arts program at a college or university in Arizona. All media considered.
  • Open to International Students.
  • Artwork must be original and not more than 2 years old.

Application Requirements

  • Unofficial Transcript: A current and full unofficial transcript. Sent with the application.
  • Resume: A one-page resume highlighting your education, related experience and affiliations, awards, and exhibitions. Keep it within the past 5 years.
  • Images: Submit JPEG images of 3 of your current (of the past 2 years) works of art. 3D Media Artists may present one additional detail image per artwork, for a total of up to six images.
  • Video, Performance, and Sound-Based Work: Video, performance and/or sound-based work are eligible to submit. If there is a component of a physical piece, which is electronic or kinetic, etc., please describe it in the "mediums" part of your image list. Please provide a non paid link to any video submissions via YouTube, Vimeo or the like. Applicants with new media work may inquire further to discuss the appropriate presentation of work for viewing.
  • Personal Statement: 300-600 words. Briefly describe your submitted artwork and the rationale for its creation. State your educational and/or career goals in relation to your interest in the arts. Describe your aspirations and what values you hold important in your development.

Characteristics of Winning Entries

  1. Choice of Artwork: The artwork is the most important part of the application. In general, jurors want to see cohesive quality work. Applicants' chosen pieces should be strong and relate to each other (i.e. style, medium, theme etc.).
  2. Complete Applications: Incomplete applications will not be considered.
  3. Concise Writing: The personal statement offers the jurors additional insight into the work, providing context and details that may not be apparent in the images.
  4. Timely Applications: Late applications will not be considered. Applications must be submitted by Monday, February 15, 2027.
  5. Quality Images: Poor image quality takes away from the work. Images should be clear, sharp and well lit. Blurry images cannot be juried. Avoid distracting backgrounds.

Rules

  • Winners must be willing to exhibit the work submitted online, plus 1-3 additional pieces.
  • Winners must be available to give a short presentation at the award reception at the AAG meeting. Please see the timeline below for details.
  • Be sure to use the checklist on the application and adhere to the timeline.
  • Agreement forms must be signed.

Questions

For any questions, contact the Scholarship Director at [email protected].

Image and Filename Specifications

  • File Format: Submit original, high-quality JPEG image files. Other formats (e.g., PNG, TIFF) are not accepted.
  • Crop Your Image: Ensure only the artwork itself is visible in the image. Do not show any visible matting, frames, or background distractions.
  • Orientation: Make sure your image is oriented correctly (right side up) so that the artwork appears in its intended viewing direction.
  • Image Size: You do not need to resize your image files before uploading. The system will automatically resize them. Smaller images cannot be enlarged to meet the requirements, so ensure your images are high resolution before uploading.
  • File Names: You do not need to rename your files before uploading them. The system will handle any file naming requirements.
  • File Size: There is a 30MB maximum file size limit. Larger image files will take longer to upload and process.

Additional Entry Information

  • After your entry is submitted, you may log back in to review your entry, edit artist and image information, and add or substitute images up until the entry deadline (February 15, 2027.)
  • Entries cannot be accepted or changed after the deadline. Incomplete entries will be disqualified.

Notifications Are Posted in Your Account

Results will be posted in your ShowSubmit account by the end of the day on March 1, 2027. You will also receive an email.

Log in and check your account. We are unable to answer individual inquiries about results.

Support

Questions about this exhibition?
Contact Scholarship Director ([email protected]) for questions about the prospectus, AAG, eligibility, artwork requirements, drop-off, pick-up, sales, etc.

Need help with ShowSubmit?
Visit our Help Center or Entry Guide for guidance on image uploads, payments, and managing your entry. If you still need help, email ShowSubmit Support ([email protected]). We respond Monday–Friday, 9am–6pm Eastern.