Supporting the future: Celebrating The arts are a critical
part of a well-rounded education. The importance of investing in creativity is well documented: studies show that students who take arts courses have higher verbal and math SAT scores, as well as gains in both critical and abstract thinking and decision-making. Anecdotally, we know how important the arts have been to weathering the pandemic. So many of us have turned to books, films, music and art to soothe, inspire and bring joy.
In 2011, UNESCO declared the fourth week of May International Arts Education Week, and since then arts and learning communities have shared the far-reaching impact that arts education has on children, their futures and our societies. The Quinte Arts Council considers arts education a core part of our mandate. Our Artists in Schools program helps to fill gaps left by funding shortfalls and connects students with practicing artists; our Bursaries for Graduating Students help support next generation artists
as they further their post-secondary education in the arts. “Students have demonstrated incredible tenacity and resilience during the past year and we are so happy to support these incredible emerging artists as they take their next steps,” says QAC Executive Director Janet Jarrell. “Supporting arts education for students of all ages gives credibility to art as a viable career. Art is an essential part of the human experience.” We are proud to announce this year’s recipients of six bursaries:
Arts Education
Andie Csafordi of Bloomfield is a graduating student of Centennial Secondary School and is this year’s recipient of both the Quinte Arts Council and Hugh O’Neil bursaries. Andie is extremely involved in the arts in and outside of school, serving as VP of Centennial’s Art Council as well as being a youth member of Quinte Arts Council and Prince Edward County Arts Council respectively. In the fall, Andie is pursuing Material Art and Design at OCADU where she ultimately plans to bring greener alternatives to the fashion industry. “My hope is to develop new ways to reuse materials and minimize waste and demand on our natural resources,” she says.
Andie Csafordi Marina Sproule of Trenton is graduating from St. Paul’s Secondary School and is another winner of the Hugh O’Neil bursary. She has been accepted into Algonquin College’s Animation and Illustration program where she aims to pursue her lifelong passion for drawing. “I know I want to be an animator / illustrator because it is all I know, and all I have ever dreamed of since I was first asked what I wanted to be as a child,” says Marina. In the future, she dreams of bringing her creations to life at companies like DreamWorks or the Cartoon Network.
Marina Sproule 40
