The Jan Lopez Wood Fellowship has been made possible through the generous support of long-time College benefactors, Jan and Bill Wood.
The Woods have created this fellowship to financially support the efforts of committed and high achieving students in the visual arts. The existence of this fellowship is a statement by the Woods and the College that the visual arts are important in the realm of human endeavor and consequently worthy of support.
Eligibility
- Second semester first-year, sophomores and juniors majoring or minoring in studio art are eligible to apply.
- Whittier Scholar Program students with an approved Educational Design that includes at least six studio art classes are also eligible to apply. WSP students should include a copy of the ED in the application package.
Selection Criteria
- Academic Excellence
- Artistic Merit
- Merit of Proposed Project
Program Benefits
$2,500 will be awarded annually to a selected student, one student per year. Typically, the award will go to a new student each year, but it is possible that the same student will receive the award two or more years in a row. The $2,500 amount will usually be broken out as follows:
- $1,000 tuition scholarship
- $1,000 for project-related costs (usually art supplies, but possibly for project related travel, living expenses if necessary for projects advancement, and other expenditures that fall within the financial requirements of the project)
- $500 as a stipend for the project sponsor
The most likely departure from this division of funds would be that the tuition remission amount is reduced, with those funds instead going to project-related costs. An applicant’s project proposal may include a suggested budget adjustment of this type.
The process follows a timeline in which applications are submitted and a selection is made during the spring, and the project is completed during the following academic year. It is possible, however, that the project will take place, at least in part, during the summer following selection of the recipient.
Applying to the Program
The application is due on the first Friday of March. Use this guide to help you gather your application documents. Request these items two weeks prior to the deadline.
A complete application consists of:
- Unofficial academic transcripts (a PDF of your DegreeWorks)
- Current semester Course Progress Report for each 3-4 credit course you are enrolled in
- Student Contract
- Signed Sponsor Endorsement
- A written recommendation letter from the faculty mentor for the project.
- A reference contact from someone outside of the applicants major and project’s area of focus. This can be a Faculty member or when applicable to the project a personal reference (e.g., employer, internship supervisor, volunteer coordinator).
- A 500-word essay explaining how this fellowship will advance your development as an artist. Please feel free to include attention to your background, goals and successes to date as an artist. You may include images as a supplement to this statement.
- A 1000-word essay describing in detail your proposed project. Be sure to address the physical properties (medium, technique, format, etc.) and the conceptual dimensions (ideas, themes, concepts) of the work you would like to create. Also include a budget (not part of the word count limit) outlining how you expect to spend the portion of the fellowship devoted to project expenditures. Images or diagrams will usually be included as a component of the project proposal.
- Selected semi-finalists may be interviewed.
Application Deadline
Applications are due the second Friday of March.
Selection Process
After reviewing all applications, the selection will be made by a committee consisting of all full-time studio faculty members in the department of Art and Visual Studies.
Fellowship Advisor
Professor David Sloan
dsloan@whittier.edu
Past Fellows
Priscilla Hernandez '20
Priscilla Jimenez '19
