Fine Arts Society of Sarasota Awards $46,300 in Scholarships

The Fine Arts Society of Sarasota recently awarded 13 local students with $46,300 in scholarships. The scholarship program is part of the Society’s mission to support and stimulate the arts in Sarasota County. Since 1969, the scholarship program has awarded nearly $1.1 million to students whose studies include visual and related arts, dance, writing, music, theater and architecture. All scholarship monies are generated through the Society’s activities.

Donna Maytham, president of the Fine Arts Society, stated, “Members of our organization are proud to support students in furthering their education in all fields of fine arts. Scholarships are awarded to students from Sarasota County; our scholarship committee evaluates applications based on artistic talent, financial need, academic achievement, and civic/community service.”

Recipients of the 2019-2020 scholarships, their fields of study, and the educational institutions they’ll be attending, are: Katherine Acosta, dance, Florida State University; Sommer Altier, music, Florida State University; Moenasia Beall, theater, Alabama A&M University (Huntsville, AL); Emily Cain, architecture, Rennselaer Polytechnic Institute (Troy, NY); Austin Canon, music, New England Conservatory of Music (Boston, MA); Pablo Gonzalez, digital art, The New School: Parsons School of Design (New York, NY); Andrea Guaita, music, Cedarville University (Cedarville, OH); Miguel Jasso-Ruiz, music, University of Central Florida; Zaine Lodhi, painting, Ringling College of Art and Design; Kirsten Pruitt, painting/illustration, Ringling College of Art and Design; Elijah Schildkraut, music, Berklee College of Music (Boston, MA); Luca Stine, music, University of Miami; and Zachary Timmons, visual art, Savannah College of Art and Design (Savannah, GA). Acosta, Altier, Cain, Canon, Lodhi, and Schildkraut have also been awarded Fine Arts Society scholarships in previous years.

Violinist Karissa Ratzenboeck, a past scholarship recipient (2008 and 2009), earned her bachelor’s degree from Florida State University’s College of Music. She now plays with the Venice Symphony, and teaches violin by private instruction and at summer music camps throughout Sarasota County. Ratzenboeck has performed at Carnegie Hall and shared the stage with many great musicians and vocalists, including Andrea Bocelli, Josh Groban, Johnny Mathis, Kristin Chenoweth, and Trans-Siberian Orchestra, among others.

Said Ratzenboeck, “I was shocked at the tremendous generosity from organizations like the Fine Arts Society of Sarasota. To know how many people believed in me was an honor and I am so very grateful for all the opportunities their support has given me.”