Del Decil Scholarship

2024

Eight artists from AAG, Arizona Clay Association, Shemer Art Center and AWA met on February 25, 2024 to select art major students to receive scholarships. We started at 10:00 and at 12:30, with careful consideration, we finally decided on the ten top students in several categories. This year we had applicants in Water Media, Graphite, Photography, Oil, Ceramics, Clay, Risograph Print, Cyanotype Print, and Videos.
The procedure requires each applicant to send in three images of their artwork and give a complete statement about their intent and why they are pursuing this career. It is very interesting to learn all the aspects of why they want to be an art major. This information is a huge help in learning more about each applicant and understanding the artists’ work.
AWA – Del Decil scholarships are water media orientated. The committee is looking for students that are acceptable for this classification. This year, we had three students that fit into that category. Each student will receive $1,000. to help with tuition. The students are: Thanh Do – Watercolor and Graphite – Xianna Montoya – Acrylic on Canvas and Marilyn Garcia – Graphite Drawings.
Images of their artwork and the other scholarship students will be displayed on the AAG
and AWA website.
There will be a reception at the AAG meeting April 16, 2024. The students will receive a
certificate and will give a talk about themselves and their artwork. AWA members are
invited to attend and meet the students.

Dyanne Locati, AWA Scholarship Chair
Carole Matthews, AWA Scholarship Raffle Table

Student Scholarship Show
Online at https://arizonaartistsguild.net/2024-scholarship-recipients/
Student Scholarship Reception:
AAG
Address: 18411 North 7th Ave. Phoenix, AZ
Date: April 16, 2024
Time: 6:30

Photos from the Student Scholarship reception on April 16, 2024

From left to right: Tess Mosko-Scherer, Dyanne Locati, Thanh Do, Ron Peters
From left to right: Tess Mosko-Scherer, Dyanne Locati, Marilyn Garcia, Ron Peters
Scholarship winners with AAG’s Tess Mosko-Scherer

Thanh Do

Prickly-pear Cactus Blooming Rhythm | 2020 | 15 x 22 in. | Watercolor and graphite
The Spring Smile | 2024 | 15 x 20 in. | Watercolor, and graphite
Rustling and Whispering | 2023 | 30 x 22 in. | Watercolor and graphite

Xianna Montoya

Home | 2022 | 16 x 20 in. | Acrylic on canvas
End of Then, Beginning of Now | 2022 | 20 x 16 in | Acrylic on canvas
First Born | 2022 | 20 x 16 in. | Acrylic on Canvas

Marilyn Garcia

Divine Liberty | 2022 | 18 x 24 in. | Graphite pencils
Divine Feminine | 18 x 24 in. | Graphite pencils
Divine Life | 18 x 24 in. | Graphite pencils


Del Decil Scholarship Fund

Stella Waters Decil (Del) was a prolific oil and watercolor artist and longtime member of AWA.  A popular workshop instructor and juror in Arizona and New Mexico, she was a teacher of painting and drawing for the Phoenix Art Museum, Phoenix Parks and Recreation Department.  She critiqued art students at Maricopa Tech and was a juror of the Youth Division AZ State Fair.  She was published in numerous magazines and newspapers, and her paintings hung in several collections in 20 states.

A monetary legacy was bequeathed from her estate to be used for college art students.  This program was developed in 2009 under the direction of AWA President, Diane Parnitzke.  The program offers up to $3000, to be awarded to the student (s) whose artwork demonstrates artistic merit and achievement in the area of water-media.  The winning student (s) receives the scholarship to the school of their choice for tuition/books/art materials.

Joint Venture with AWA and AAG

AWA was fortunate to recently join Arizona Artists Guild Scholarship Committee in the task of finding candidates for the AWA Del Decil Scholarship.  AAG is well known among the local colleges and frequently had candidates who submitted water media artworks to their committee.  Because of these contacts, and the well-established process, AWA was able to reach a broader group of students to receive our scholarship.  Note:  the Del Decil Scholarship is given from the fund established by Del Decil in her legacy and does not impact AWA’s operating funds.

Past scholarship recipients:

2018: Michael Loren Diaz
2019: Breanna Kohlmeyer, Kareem Ferreira, Lee Davenport
2020: Ruchi Ukhade, John Bedard
2021: Kelsey Philips and Hannah Schollmacher
2022: Eli Duarte, Emily Kray, Jesus Sanchez
2023: Arianna Barley, Claire Taylor, Mehraveh Vahediyan