Alpine Artisans, Inc. - Youth Grant Awards

Youth Grant Awards

2011 Youth Grant Recipients Announced during AAI's Loon & Fish Festival

AAI Scholarship Chair Miriam Hertz with Morgan Barker, a 7th grader at Lincoln Junior High School. Photo by Caroline Jenkins, ©Seeley-Swan Pathfinder.
The first recipient was Morgan Barker, a 7th grader at Lincoln Junior High. "I take art class at school and am also a member of my school's Art Club…" wrote Morgan on her application. "I have always been very interested in all types of arts and crafts" and "always participate in my school's PTA Reflections contest."

The Alpine Artisans Scholarship Committee was very impressed with the letters written on Morgan's behalf by Ms. Joanie Templeton, the Gifted and Talented Coordinator with the Lincoln Public Schools, and by Ms. Erickson.

Ms. Templeton wrote of the "pleasure of teaching Morgan for the past three years in my Gifted and Talented Program…." Morgan is "extremely talented…motivated…", "a hardworking 4.0 student…." and she has "a passion and a gift for art." Ms. Erickson, Morgan's art teacher, wrote that she "would love for Morgan to be able to pursue her dream of becoming an artist."

Morgan received a grant for private art lessons with Ms. April Erickson, the art teacher for grades 7 through 12 in the Lincoln Public Schools.

Charcoal of a wolf. Created by Morgan Barker during her private art lessons
with April Erickson, art teacher, grades 7 through 12, Lincoln Public Schools.

Miriam Hertz with Isabelle DeLeo, a pre-kindergartener at Seeley Lake Elementary. Photo by Nancy Schwalm, ©Seeley-Swan Pathfinder.

The second grant was awarded to Isabelle DeLeo, who will be in Kindergarten at Seeley Lake Elementary in the Fall. Isabelle wrote, "Next year I am going to be in my mom's kindergarten class where I get to be in kindergarten. I am going to learn and do lots of arts and crafts. I love arts and crafts because I get to do arts and crafts."

Mrs. Sheila Devins, the prekindergarten teacher at Seeley Lake Elementary School, wrote that Isabelle's "intense interest in art, music and drama, along with her independent 'I can do it' attitude and engaging personality make her a joy to have in the classroom."

"I have observed [Isabelle] to be a self-starter…." She "continually produces unique and imaginative things. She similarly comes up with creative perspectives when we are studying a topic, or sees unique aspects of shape and form during investigations." Teacher Sheila concludes, "She seems to be a natural born artist; one that needs to be fostered."

Isabelle was awarded a grant to attend Mismo Gymnastics Summer Camp in Missoula.

Miriam Hertz with Amber Leetch, 5th grader at Sunset Elementary. Photo by Nancy Schwalm, ©Seeley-Swan Pathfinder.

Amber Elaine Leetch, a 5th grader at Sunset Elementary School in Greenough, was awarded a grant to attend YMCA Arts Unlimited Summer Camp in Missoula.

Mrs. Chantale Daniel, the teacher at Sunset Elementary School, wrote "as the only student at Sunset Elementary, Amber has shouldered the responsibilities of an entire classroom. Every question, every discussion, and every project that we work on has been her responsibility as the only student. I am always impressed by how well she has dealt with this intense academic responsibility."

"As her teacher I have kept my expectations high, and Amber continually works hard to meet these expectations and progress in her studies." Ms. Daniel also wrote of Amber's "love of art and music."

Read more about Amber in the following article:
One-Room School Also One-Student School
By Jim Robbins, Greenough Journal for The New York Times, January 29, 2012

AAI Scholarship Chair Miriam Hertz with Youth Grant Recipient Gavin Mercado. Photo by Nancy Schwalm, ©Seeley-Swan Pathfinder.The final Youth Grant Recipient was Gavin Mercado, a 6th grader at Seeley Lake Elementary.

"I am very artistic in that that I like to draw, paint, and most recently, express art through graffiti. I love trombone and tuba. I have been drawing since I was about five years old." Gavin notes that he also enjoys acting and "Last year I won the 'Finding the Meaning of Peace' Award for the State of Montana, through The Children's Theatre. I did a huge collage of what I thought was 'Peace.' In the collage the paper resembled a Dove."

Gavin has received a grant for private art lessons with Mr. Tjay Warneke, the artist creating the mural at Seeley Lake Elementary School.