Ashley E. Spears art scholarship 2 years running.
November 10, 2006
For the second year in a row, now 19 year old Ashley Spears donated approximately 18 hours of her time at the Great Gulfcoast Arts Festival, drawing charcoal portraits of children, in order to raise money for the scholarship fund she and her father began a year ago. More information on last year's outcome can be found in the story below. This year, however, Ashley was interviewed by Sue Straugn on Channel 3 News. You can watch the interview below.
Young Chumuckla Artist Donates time for charitable cause
October 17, 2005
Chumuckla Native, Ashley Spears in conjunction with the Santa Rosa Art Association (SRAA) announces the formation of the Ashley E. Spears Art Scholarship Fund.
The SRAA recently awarded four $300 art scholarships to graduating seniors of 2005 with funds raised at “An Art Affair,” an annual event that is conducted each February in Santa Rosa County. Ashley was the proud recipient of one of these scholarships.
“Because of the support I’ve received from the SRAA, as well as other local artists, I now have the opportunity to pursue my continuing education in art. That’s exactly why I want to help raise funds for other students to achieve their goals in art,” said Spears.
In 2002, Ashley was invited to participate in the 30th Annual ‘Great Gulfcoast Art Festival (GGAF),’ held each year, the first full weekend of November. “When I met Ashley, I was so impressed with the talent of this delightfully refreshing young lady that I asked her to share her art with us during our 30th year celebration. She created quite a stir at the Children’s Festival in Bartram Park; in my mind I can still see the long line of parents and children patiently waiting their turn to be magically transferred to Ashley’s paper,” said Linda Gray (architect of the festival and chairman for its first three years). “She was a smashing hit for us.”
This year, Ashley will again be in the children’s area of the GGAF in Bartram Park drawing charcoal sketches of children 12 and under for free.
“I had the idea that we could raise additional scholarship money for the Santa Rosa Art Association. My parents and I presented this idea to the Great Gulfcoast Art Festival and they were glad to be a participant in this venture,” said Ashley. Gray, now sponsorship chairman of the festival, notes, “One of the first goals of GGAF was the development of appreciation for Art in all forms. And what better way to open that door than to expose our young people to the actual creation of art. Ashley exemplifies this very thing that we are striving to do. We are so fortunate to have her with us yet again.”
To read the Pensacola News Journal article on Ashley please click here