Holiday for the Arts Members Juried Show
Scholarships
Each year, the Olive Hyde Art Guild provides scholarships to students who are pursuing higher education in art.
- Submission deadline: Friday, April 18, 2025.
- Scholarship finalists will be notified by May 3, 2025.
Requirements for all applicants:
High school applicants must be a Fremont high school senior and Fremont resident.
Ohlone College applicants must be a visual art or multi-media art major.
- Minmum GPA of 2.5 GPA.
- Pursuing visual arts at an accredited institution in fall 2025.
- Attend awards reception on May 16, 2025 if selected as a finalist.
College and High School student compete separately for awards. Finalists have their work showcased at an in-person reception and awards presentation.
Complete application includes:
- Responses to scholarship questions.
- Portfolio of 4-6 artworks.
- Unofficial transcript stating GPA and completed courses.
- Written permission of parent/guardian if under 18 years old.
Scholarships are awarded as follows:
Ohlone College students and Fremont high school students will compete separately. Each group will receive the following:
- The first place winner receives $2000.
- Two honorable mention winners will each receive $250 gift certificates from Blick Art Supply.
One applicant will receive the $1000 Jan Schafir Memorial Award.
Two applicants will each receive $500, sponsored by the Project Mini Art program.
Award checks will be sent to the Financial Aid office of the school/college each recipient is attending and is not renewable.
Application Process
We prefer that students apply online.
Online Scholarship Application
Or you can mail your complete paper application, along with a thumb drive of your images, to the address below.
Scholarship Committee, Olive Hyde Art Guild
P.O. Box 3073, Fremont, CA 94539
Download 2025 Scholarship Application (Word)
Download 2025 Scholarship Application (PDF)
Disclaimer
- Proof of acceptance from school/college is required prior to awarding of scholarship.
- Olive Hyde Art Guild reserves the right to hold a public show of applicants’ work.
- Olive Hyde Art Guild reserves the right not to award a scholarship.
2024 Scholarships
Congratulations to our 2024 winners!
- Yurim Lee, Irvington High School, $2,000 award for Outstanding Artistic Talent
- Michelle Lin, Irvington High School, $500 award for Artistic Excellence
- Zhen Yuan Kan, Mission San Jose High School, $250 art supplies gift certificate for Artistic Merit
- Sierra Acosta, American High School, $250 art supplies gift certificate for Artistic Merit
- Sam Ahn, American High School, $250 art supplies gift certificate for Artistic Merit
- Sophie Zhang, Ohlone College, $2,000 award for Outstanding Artistic Talent
- Olga Tymoshchuk, Ohlone College, $500 award for Artistic Excellence
- Metis Tse, Ohlone College, $250 art supplies gift certificate for Artistic Merit
- Eunie Kim, Ohlone College, $1000 Jan Schafir Memorial Award for Visual Art
- Tulley Mintey, Art Teacher, Irvington High School, $500 as instructor for winning high school student
Olive Hyde Art Guild 2024 Scholarship Awards
By Gail Blalock
The Olive Hyde Art Guild frequently uses the phrase “the Arts are Alive and Going Strong” in the Fremont Community. This was never more true than Friday night, May 17, 2024, when the Guild presented its Art Scholarship Awards for 2024 during a reception at the Olive Hyde Art Gallery courtyard. This year 35 applications were received from Ohlone College students and Fremont High School seniors. Juror this year was locally based artist (oil painter) Mitchell Neto who has consistently won awards for his work. In his notes about this year’s students, Mr. Neto remarked “as a life-long artist, I appreciate that a little bit of the artist’s soul goes into every creation and that it is not easy to bare that soul, to share with a world that often dismisses our creations or judges them harshly. I applaud the bravery of those that submitted their works into this competition and encourage them to continue sharing their gifts with the world – we need it now more than ever.”
The finalists exhibited their artwork in the Mission Room providing an opportunity for attendees to view the artwork, ask questions of the students, and enjoy their artwork prior to the announcement of the awards. The students were eager to talk about their artwork and to explain what inspired them to create. The Awards Ceremony followed in the courtyard to the applause of family, friends, and visitors. Nine awards were given out with each awardee receiving a certificate and flowers. A reception and celebration followed.
Recipients of the Award for Outstanding Artistic Talent ($2,000) were Irvington High School senior Yurim Lee and Ohlone student Sophie Zhang. Other award recipients were Zhen Yuan Kan from Mission High School; from American High School Sierra Acosta and Sam Ahn; and from Ohlone College Metis Tse. The Guild also announced it would be giving $500 to Irvington High School art teacher Tulley Mintey, the instructor for the first place high school winning student. To view photos of the students’ artwork, go to www.olivehydeartguild.org/scholarships.
Winning the Jan Schafir Memorial Art Scholarship Award ($1,000) was Ohlone student Eunie Kim. The Award was presented by Jan’s children, Paulette Schafir and Dr. Alex Schafir, who said their mother shared her passion for art for over 60 years, enjoyed teaching in her Fremont art studio, and they were pleased to continue the scholarship in her memory.
New this year were two additional awards of $500 each resulting from the sale of “Project Mini-Art” at the Guild’s Annual Holiday for the Arts Show & Sale. Guild member artists donate their time and art expertise to create a 5×5 wrapped canvas that is then sold at the Annual Show. The Guild’s Board dedicated the funds raised from this project to the Scholarship Program. Winners of $500 scholarships each were Ohlone student Olga Tymoshchuk and Irvington High School senior Michelle Lin. Watch for more “mini-art” pieces for sale at this year’s 40th Annual Holiday for the Arts Show October 18-20, 2024.
When asked what does creating your artwork mean to you, Ohlone College student Sophie Zhang responded “as an aesthetic sensitivity person, I am constantly stimulated by the scenes my eyes take in: the fiery sunset, the roaring waves, the innocent expression on a child’s face. I long to capture that fleeting beauty. For a long time, I couldn’t find a way to reflect my perception of the world. y creating artwork, I discover the gift I don’t even know I have. Creating art provides me with a medium to communicate internally and externally. It connects me to a bigger world; it makes me believe I can fulfill this life.”
In response to how long she has been pursuing art, scholarship winner Metis Tse, shared “my journey with art began really early – I’d say as far back as the first grade in elementary school. I was lucky to have some amazing influences in my life. My grandpa and my uncle were the ones who truly sparked my interest in art. They were like my first art teachers, guiding and inspiring me.”
The Guild’s Scholarship Program involves many months and hours of challenging work culminating in the Awards Ceremony. Appreciation was extended to Program Chairs Dina Rubiolo and Edie Christensen for their hard work, dedication, and encouragement to the students. The impressive artwork created by all nine scholarship awardees was truly amazing. It positively reinforces the Guild’s belief that “the Arts are Alive and Going Strong” in our community.
Photos: Scott Capen
2024 Juror: Mitchell Neto, Artist, Oil Painter
Mitchell Neto is a life-long, locally-based artist that has been active in the Northern California art scene for years. Raised in Hayward and currently living on the coast in Davenport, Mitchell’s specialty is oil painting en Plein Air. Having studied at CSU Santa Cruz and with countless Masters throughout the US and beyond, Mitchell has always taken this approach to painting because it was practiced for centuries by the masters and allows for truer color and value references when recreating scenes on the canvas. It also reveals the details in shadows that a photo simply cannot.
As is the case for many professional artists, Mitchell’s studio works are often proceeded by a plein air “study” that he works from to attain the realism and capture the intrigue inspired by nature.
Mitchell consistently wins awards for his work, is an active member of the national art scene who paints regularly in a wide variety of locations across the US and internationally.
Mitchell can be found painting almost anywhere, traveling in art groups associated with Plein Air Magazine and close friend, publisher, Eric Rhoads
He is an active member of the California Art Club, California Plein Air Painters Association, Coastal Art League, South Coast Art Association, Alamo-Danville Artist Association, Olive-Hyde Art Guild and the Monterey Bay Plein Air Painters Association among others.
To learn more visit: Mitchellneto.com
