Art Scholarship
Our organization is proud to grant a $1500 Art Scholarship every year to two high school Senior Art Students within the greater Dunnellon area - including Citrus, Levy, Marion and Nassau counties.
- These scholarships celebrate the applicants' creative achievements and contributions to the arts
Eligibility is based on students' application, portfolio, and an essay reflecting their perspective on a suggested topic
- All artistic disciplines are welcome, including but not limited to fine arts, visual arts, theater, music, culinary arts...
- All submissions are reviewed by a dedicated Art Scholarship Committee
The 2025 RSA Art Scholarship was awarded in June 2025 with funds reserved to go directly to the recipients' post-secondary institution of choice.
Deadline for 2026 applicantion has not been determined. Check back often!
Support Our Art Scholarship
Rainbow Springs Art in Dunnellon is the only gallery in our community offering scholarships to young artists. As a 501c3 nonprofit group, we rely on contributions to fund our scholarship.
You could claim the contribution as a charitable donation on your taxes!
If you’d like to donate to our scholarship, please mail your contribution to us at the gallery at 20836 Walnut St, Dunnellon, FL 34431, or stop in and see us, or donate online by clicking here.
~ We are grateful for your donations ~
2025 Art Scholarship Recipients
SEDONA STACKPOLE
Sedona plans to attend classes at Flagler University, focusing on art history, fine arts, and art administration. She would like to be an art teacher and later get started into doing museum work.
She diligently took classes at the College of Central Florida, while simultaneously attending high school, to make headway on core academic courses.
Sedona said she was drawn to art but unsure about pursuing an artistic career path until her Middle School art teacher, and her uncle, who does digital drawings and “comic book” art, encouraged her to consider a future in the art field.
For Sedona, computers are a good tool in the art realm, but her passion right now is in painting with acrylics.
She explains: "I tried oil, but I didn’t like its strong smell, and it didn't dry fast. Acrylics dry fast so you can quickly paint over it, or redo things if you want.”
As for her artistic expressions, mixing elements of nature, like flowers or people, with non-natural elements is what allures her.
The Impressionists are at the core of her inspiration because of the way that art segment captures light without being hyper-realistic.
LINDSEY REIMSNYDER
Lindsey studied Culinary Arts at the Belleview High School.
She participated in the Wedding Cake Competition skilled trade competition known as SkillsUSA since her ninth grade. As a freshman student, she won a silver medal in the regional competition. In her junior year she won the silver place in the state competition!
Lindsey making cakes are a fun way to explore her creative abilities. One of her animal cakes, the Cow Cake, was submitted with her scholarship application.
A family neighbor complained about lacking a way to practice his culinary arts skills during the Covid pandemic. Eventually, he asked Lindsey's parents permission to share his cooking and baking skills. "He lit a spark in my heart," Lindsey said. "He showed me the way into the culinary world."
Belleview High School students were guided to explore career possibilities during a visit to the World Equestrian Center in Ocala. The senior capstone project required researching her future profession, and finding a mentor.
Lindsey took the opportunity to ask their executive Pastry Chef if he would be her mentor. ”Not only did he agree, but I ended up being a paid intern, doing a bit of everything at the center's Emma's Patisserie”, Lindsey said. Excellent initiative!
Lindsey plans to attend classes at the Mississippi University for Women in the fall, where she will study culinary arts, focusing on baking and pastries, and business management.
2023 Art Scholarship Recipients
Julian Hollis and Sylee Ann Gonzalez
2022 Art Scholarship Recipients
From left, Fausto Jarquin and Gloria Altamirano, who are the parents of art scholarship winner Joel Jarquin; Nate Davila, who is the partner of art scholarship winner Bethany "Joy" Evans; Erin Sorensen, who is the education director of Rainbow Springs Art in Dunnellon gallery; and Bridget Hanley,
JOEL JARQUIN
Joel, the son of Gloria Altamirano and Fausto Jarquin, plans to attend the Art Institute of Chicago, where he will study studio art, digital art, and graphic design
Joel is vice president of the Spanish Club, a member of National Honor Society, and chemistry club. He said art to him is a way to express himself in a universal language everyone can understand.
BETHANY "JOY" EVANS
Joy, the daughter of Beth Evans and Tony Evans, plans to study three-dimensional art and theater scene design at Brenau University in Gainesville, GA.
Joy is the president of the chorus and a member of National Honor Society. She said that through art, she is able to express what’s inside her head that can’t be put into words.
Art Scholarship Recipient
CARRIE EMERSON
Carrie is a Westport High School graduate is the winner of a $1,000 scholarship from Rainbow Springs Art in Dunnellon.
Contestants were asked to submit photos of three pieces of their art and to write an essay on why is art important. They needed a teacher's recommendation and also had to answer how they would use the scholarship money.
Emerson wrote on the gallery's Facebook page, "I am blessed to say I received my first scholarship from Rainbow Springs Art in Dunnellon. I wanted to give them a shout-out because they are the sweetest people, and I would love for more students to apply for the award next year!"