PPAC's Community Outreach Committee Announces Winners of the ARTS Scholarships 2017 Program

Jo-Ann Ragosta, Chairperson of the ARTS Scholarships 2017 program, along with the members of the Community Outreach Committee of the Providence Performing Arts Center (PPAC), are pleased to announce the winners of the ARTS Scholarships 2017 program, sponsored by the Textron Charitable Trust and PPAC Annual Fund Donors. This year's program will award scholarships to 36 talented Rhode Island students, ages 11 - 14, each of whom will receive a scholarship of up to $500 to attend a local summer arts education program of their choice (please see below for the list of ARTS Scholarships 2017 winners).

The ARTS Scholarships 2017 awards will be presented to the winners during a ceremony for recipients and invited guests at the Providence Performing Arts Center on Monday, May 8, 2017 from 4:30 - 6P. PPAC Board of Directors Chairman Joseph W. Walsh, Esq. will present the ARTSScholarships 2017 awards. For more information on the ARTSScholarships 2017 program or the awards, please contact Cynthia Goldsmith at (401) 574-3105.

Two scholarships in memoriam will be awarded to students who exude a passion for the performing arts; one from the Keri Anne O'Donnell Memorial Fund and one from the Jessie's Dream Scholarship Fund.

A committee of PPAC's Board of Directors, the Community Outreach Committee is comprised of PPAC Board Members, Rhode Island educators, artists, and community leaders with an interest in the arts and youth. Its mission includes developing arts education opportunities for Rhode Island's young people and making PPAC accessible to Rhode Island's diverse populations. Committee members are responsible for conducting the application, assessment, and awarding of the scholarships.

With a portion of the proceeds from the First Annual Greater Providence Gospel Fest (a PPAC production), the Community Outreach Committee created the ARTS Scholarships program in 1996, a scholarship fund earmarked for assisting students with an interest in studying the arts. Since then, 504 scholarships have been awarded to talented Rhode Island students.

The total amount of awards given will increase to 542 scholarships after the awards ceremony on May 8. Previous scholarship winners had the opportunity to attend summer programs at Rhode Island College, Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), Mount Saint Charles Academy, Trinity Repertory Theatre, Moses Brown PLUS Summer Camp, RI Ballet Arts Academy, Theater at St. Michael's, the Rhode Island Philharmonic Music School, Blue Door Art Studio, and others.

2017 ARTS Scholarships Recipients

Janelle Agyemang - John F. Deering Middle School, West Warwick

Olivia Almeida - Blackstone Valley Prep Middle School, Central Falls

Rubelly Alvarez - Gov. Christopher DelSesto Middle School, Providence

Erin Anderson - Portsmouth Middle School, Portsmouth

Gabriel Arroyo - Esek Hopkins Middle School, Providence

Sage Bogaars - Thompson Middle School, Newport

Jillian Boutcher - Barrington Christian Academy, Barrington

Angelica Bueno - Western Hills Middle School, Cranston

Vanessa Earley - John F. Deering Middle School, West Warwick

Cassidy Ferry - Curtis Corner Middle School, Wakefield

Maya Grant - Homeschooled, Riverside

Jessica Harwood - Western Hills Middle School, Cranston

Nola Haynes - Cluny School, Newport

Elspeth Huxley - Curtis Corner Middle School, Wakefield

Cryssaly Jimenez - Carl G. Lauro Elementary School, Providence

Sharday Johnson - Wyman School, Warwick

Joy Joly - Hugh B. Bain Middle School, Cranston

Emma Jordan - Hugh B. Bain Middle School, Cranston

Mya Lemery - John F. Deering Middle School, West Warwick

Gustavo Londono - Immaculate Conception Catholic Regional School, Cranston

Amaya Louro - John F. Deering Middle School, West Warwick

Rhakejha Lovett Smith - Gov. Christopher DelSesto Middle School, Providence

Emilie Martin - The Pennfield School, Portsmouth

Natalya Martin - Immaculate Conception Catholic Regional School, Cranston

Evelyn Mathelier - Gov. Christopher DelSesto Middle School, Providence

Edmir Monteiro - Carl G. Lauro Elementary School, Providence

Krystal Morales - Gov. Christopher DelSesto Middle School, Providence

Mikaya Parente - Western Hills Middle School, Cranston

Dayana Ranero Saldana - Esek Hopkins Middle School, Providence

Caterina Ranieri - John F. Deering Middle School, West Warwick

Lily Smith - Meadowbrook Waldorf School, West Kingston

Sam Sparling - Saint Philip School, Greenville

Hanna Stavnitski - Western Hills Middle School, Cranston

Grace Thorp - Nathanael Greene Middle School, Providence

Ava West - Western Hills Middle School, Cranston

Norman Winn - South Kingstown High School, Wakefield

2017 Keri Anne O'Donnell Scholarship Recipient:

Calista Aguinaldo - St. Rose of Lima School, Warwick

Funded by the Keri Anne O'Donnell Memorial Fund

2017 Jessie's Dream Scholarship Recipient:

Marley Dupre - Thompson Middle School, Newport

Funded by Jessie's Dream Scholarship Fund