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Art & Art History
University of Mississippi

Awards & Scholarships

Financial Aid

Visit the Financial Aid website for more information regarding loans, grants, and scholarships: https://finaid.olemiss.edu/scholarships/

Scholarships from the Department of Art and Art History at The University of Mississippi for Entering Students

Art Merit Scholarship

Students planning to enter The University of Mississippi as art or art history majors may be considered for Art Merit Scholarships to be awarded in various amounts up to $3000 for eight consecutive semesters (not including summer). Non-resident recipients will be granted a partial waiver of non-resident fees. Those students who apply for the Art Merit Scholarships are automatically considered for the Hollingsworth Scholarship. Individuals who plan to apply for Art Merit Scholarships should contact The Department of Art & Art History and follow the directions for Spring Art Merit Scholarship on our website.

Mid-South Scholastic Scholarship

Entering freshmen who participate in the Mid-South Art Awards at the Brooks Museum in Memphis and declare studio art or art history as his/her major at The University of Mississippi are eligible to be considered for a $500 scholarship + a partial waiver of non-resident fees (for out-of-state students). A faculty member from the Department of Art & Art History will meet with students the day of event, and a student will be chosen through a portfolio review process juried by art and art history faculty members. For additional information please contact Instructional Assistant Professor of Art, Stacey Rathert at slrather@olemiss.edu in The Department of Art & Art History or visit http://www.brooksmuseum.org/mid-south-scholastic-art-awards.

William Robert Hollingsworth Jr. Art Scholarship Endowment

This endowment is named for William Hollingsworth, Jr., a prominent young artist in the 1930s and early ’40s whose career was cut short by his suicide in 1944. He attended the University of MS from 1928–1930, and after studying at the Art Institute of Chicago (1930–1934), Hollingsworth returned to his native Mississippi, where he produced a large number of watercolors and oil paintings shown at exhibitions throughout the country.  Inspired by French impressionist painters, he also painted the Mississippi landscape, sunsets and sunrises, and won numerous prizes for his painting of his hometown Jackson, MS. Entering freshmen from the state of Mississippi who declare art or art history as a major are eligible to be considered for a full tuition scholarship. First preference goes to Mississippi residents who plan to study painting/drawing or sculpture, and second preference in any area of art or art history. Recipients may retain the scholarship for up to eight consecutive semesters provided they remain in good academic standing. Students who apply for the Art Merit Scholarships are automatically considered for the Hollingsworth Scholarship. Individuals who to apply for Art Merit Scholarships should contact The Department of Art & Art History and follow the directions for Spring Art Merit Scholarship on our website.

Sean Manning Ceramic Fund

Self-taught artist and philanthropist Richard Sean Manning, a native of Lockport, New York, is a prolific artist who works in many mediums.  He started his art career as a ceramic artist and throws up to five tons of clay each year to create ceramic art.  Over the years he has been guided by several ceramics professors including UM art professor Matt Long, where Sean’s relationship with UM originated.  His ceramic work “9/11 Memorial Towers” is in the permanent collection at the National September 11 Memorial Museum in New York. Sean Manning donates much of his work to worthy causes, which inspired him to set up his own charitable organization.

Scholarships at The University of Mississippi with consideration for Entering Students in the Department of Art and Art History

These scholarships are decided at the university level; you cannot apply directly for them.

Patricia S. Hopson Council Scholarship in Art Endowment

The Patricia S. Hopson Council Scholarship in Art Endowment was established in 2005 by Dr. W. Briggs Hopson, Jr. of Vicksburg, Mississippi and The University of Mississippi to honor in perpetuity Patricia S. Hopson and to provide income for scholarship assistance to deserving students majoring in Art in the College of Liberal Arts at The University of Mississippi. Recipients will be full-time students who are majoring in Art in the College of Liberal Arts. 

Rachel McPherson Council Scholarship Endowment Fund

This endowment was established in 2000 by Rachel S. McPherson (BAEd 1974 at UM), a native of Monticello, Mississippi & an Academy Award-nominated producer for film and television in New York City. A freelance artist, Rachel was instrumental in forming the New York Society for the Preservation of Mississippi Heritage.
The recipient of this scholarship will be a full-time entering Freshman enrolled in the College of Liberal Arts and will be chosen on the basis of demonstrated academic ability and leadership potential.

Susan Barksdale Howorth Council Scholarship Endowment

Susan Barksdale Howorth of Oxford had decided to pursue a master’s degree in art when her life was cut short. Her great interests and passions in both creating art and providing educational opportunities for others will live on through University of Mississippi students who receive scholarships in her name. This endowment has been created under the umbrella of the Ole Miss Women’s Council for Philanthropy (OMWC). The $100,000 fund was created by a gift from her husband, Circuit Court Judge Andrew K. Howorth of Oxford, as well as memorials from family and friends. First preference for the scholarship awards will be given to art majors.

Scholarships and Awards in the Department of Art and Art History at The University of Mississippi for Current Art and Art History Students

Roy Frank Finger Memorial Scholarship in Art

This scholarship fund was established in 1996 by Mr. and Mrs. Wade Finger, formerly of Tupelo, in memory of their son, Roy Frank Finger, who completed his MFA in printmaking in 1975 and shortly thereafter was killed in an automobile accident.  The Finger memorial was created in 1975 as an award; then in 1996 the Roy Frank Finger Memorial Scholarship was started to benefit a student showing outstanding promise in the field of printmaking.

KAPPA PI Scholarship

Art and art history majors at The University of Mississippi may become members of the Kappa Pi International Art Honor Society, which was founded in 1911 at the University of Kentucky if they meet certain academic requirements. Kappa Pi Scholarships ranging from $250 to $1,000 are awarded nationally from a total of $10,000 annually available for awards. Applicants must be an art major and an active member of Kappa Pi. For additional information please contact Tyler Barnes at tsbarne1@olemiss.edu in The Department of Art & Art History.