What do an animated short film about an entrepreneurial moth, large-scale surrealist paintings and photographs that speak to Latinx American identity have in common? They are all original projects by SVA students that recently received a 2018 Alumni Scholarship Award from the SVA Alumni Society.

Established in 1999, the Alumni Scholarship Awards are presented annually to SVA students. "Current students in their final year are invited to apply for funding for their thesis or portfolio projects and applications are then evaluated by independent panels of alumni, who are always thrilled at the chance to see what students are working on," says Miranda Pierce, development manager of Alumni Affairs and Development, who also spearheads this annual program. "It’s truly a community effort."

The recipients' excitement is palpable. Fourth-year BFA Animation student Jacqueline Snyder’s initial reaction to hearing the news was to tell her roommates and do a little dance. Similarly, when MFA Art Practice student Astrid Bai got the email, "I had to remind myself to keep calm and dance madly at the same time." Meanwhile, fourth year BFA Photography and Video student Ken Castaneda’s "mouth stretched from ear-to-ear with a smile, and my first initial reaction was to yelp, 'Oh my gosh!' but I was in class – not very appropriate to do."

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66 SVA students awarded $64,000 worth of scholarships for their original projects