Art Student Opportunities

Application Deadline: Saturday March 1, 2025

Scholarship Description:

The Lawrence B. Taishoff Communication Design Scholarship is established to provide scholarships to students pursuing the BFA in Communication Design degree so they have additional financial resources to purchase computer equipment and/or software suitable for meeting the demands of the Communication Design degree.

Technologies recommended through this scholarship award are managed by the Communication Design program and this scholarship. See Professor Lisa M. Abendroth for details.

About Larry Taishoff:

Lawrence (Larry) B. Taishoff graduated from Duke University in 1955 and served in U.S. Army’s 101st Airborne Division as a paratrooper. He was stationed in Germany before he joined Broadcasting Magazine in 1958. He quickly gravitated to the business side of the publication and soon took over its publishing operations. He was accredited as a White House correspondent and was a member of the White House Press Association. For many years he was co-author of the radio and television segment of the Encyclopedia Britannica Book of the Year. He was a trustee of the Washington Journalism Center and a member of the National Press Foundation.

After his father’s death in 1982 Lawrence B. Taishoff endowed an award in his father’s honor, presented annually at the NPF dinner. His interest in the Broadcast Pioneers organization led eventually to a major philanthropy, supporting the ever-enlarging Library of American Broadcasting, now located at the University of Maryland in College Park.

Lawrence B. Taishoff’s understanding of Communication Design shaped Broadcasting Magazine for 40 yrs. One example of this was the logo he created of a lightning bolt. The symbol of a bolt within a red rectangle was synonymous with the magazine itself. Everything from the granite carving atop the DeSales Street office to the pen sitting on his desk had that logo on it. As a result, this made it recognizable throughout the industry, and along with superior journalism, was a key factor to the publication’s success.

We hope the Communication Design Scholarship will help students keep pace with technological changes and methods in this field, along with providing the tools necessary to achieve this goal.

Scholarship Process:

Below is the direct link to the Fall 2025 award:
https://msudenver.academicworks.com/opportunities/8122

The link below is for students who haven’t yet completed a general application and need to do that first. After completing the general application, the Lawrence B. Taishoff Communication Design Scholarship will appear on the next screen as a “recommended opportunity” for application. Click “Apply.”
https://www.msudenver.edu/financial-aid/scholarships/

Scholarship Criteria:

The scholarship recipient shall meet the following criteria:

• Be meeting MSU Denver’s Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) requirements and cannot be in default or owe any refund/repayment of federal, state or institutional aid
• Be enrolled in at least 12 credit hours during the semester the scholarship is received (Note: In this cycle, scholarship funds will be distributed during the Fall 2025 semester)
• Submit a CDES BFA portfolio application and be pursuing a BFA in Communication Design*
• Have completed at least 30 credit hours, and have a minimum of one academic year (any combination of fall and spring semesters) of coursework left in Communication Design prior to graduation (Note: Remaining academic year should be calculated between the semester of scholarship application and the semester of scholarship receipt)
• Have a cumulative ART Departmental GPA, for their intended CDES BFA major, of 3.0 or greater as identified by the degree progression report (generated as a “what-if” report)
• Submit an essay of 500 – 1,000 words addressing the following: How or why did you become interested in pursuing the BFA in Communication Design degree and what do you intend to accomplish in this discipline as a result? Additionally, five samples of design work produced in Communication Design courses shall be included in the application with a brief description of each project and/or its intended goals.

See online application for details and eligibility requirements. Within the limits of the scholarship amount, the actual award is contingent upon a student account with no balance due—the scholarship award will pay toward any balance due on the student account first.

* NOTE: Applicants need only to have submitted a portfolio application for the BFA in Communication Design to be eligible for this scholarship. Applicants need not to have been accepted into the BFA in Communication Design at the time of their scholarship application.

Scholarship Questions:

• Lisa M. Abendroth, Professor, Communication Design Program, Department of Art, Taishoff Scholarship Committee Chair: [email protected]
• Jacob Beaudrie, Financial Aid Office: [email protected]

Deadline: TBA

Purpose:

The Fund is established to provide scholarships to students majoring in Art.

This scholarship celebrates the life of talented artist and Metropolitan State University of Denver graduate, Sarah Steck. Sarah graduated in May 2021 with a B.F.A. in Communication Design after transferring to MSU Denver from Red Rocks Community College in 2015. She was an artist and designer who loved punk rock, had a lot of strength of character, and was kind-hearted. She is consistently described by those who had her in class as a positive presence. The donors to this award hope this scholarship will help other students like Sarah realize their passion for art and design through education.

Sarah Steck’s BFA Thesis Webpage

Criteria:

• Meet the University’s Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) requirements and not be in default or owe any refund/repayment of federal, state, or institutional aid.
• Have financial need as determined by FAFSA/CASFA and the University’s Office Financial Aid and Scholarships.
• Have a declared major in Art.
• Be enrolled full-time (12+ credit hours).
• Be an undergraduate.
• Have a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher.

Preference is for the scholarship award to be split evenly between two students per academic year. The scholarship is open to ASSET/DACA and other undocumented students. The scholarship is not renewable.

To apply:

• • Click the “Apply Here” button on the MSU Denver General Scholarship Application page.
  • You will be automatically considered based on your completed General Application.

Deadline: TBA

About:

The purpose of the Endowment for Careers in the Arts is to assist students in their goal to have a career in the arts. This scholarship is intended for students of the Department of Art at MSU Denver.

Requirements and Qualifications:

• Meet MSU Denver’s Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) requirements and not be in default or owe any refund/repayment of federal, state or institutional aid.
• Have a declared major in the Department of Art at Metropolitan State University of Denver.
• Have and maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of at least 3.0.
• Be taking at least 6 credit hours during the semester(s) the scholarship is received.

To Apply:

• Click the “Apply Here” button on the MSU Denver General Scholarship Application page.
• Majors in the Art Department are automatically considered for the “Careers in the Arts Scholarship” with the General Application!
• Complete your FAFSA. Financial need is not required but may be considered in selection.

Deadline: TBA

Requirements and Qualifications:

In order to be qualified you must:

• Meet MSU Denver’s Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) requirements and not be in default or owe any refund/repayment of federal, state or institutional aid.
• Be a student at Metropolitan State University of Denver and be registered (or intend to register) for an Art History study abroad program.
• Have a declared major in the Department of Art or a minor in the Art Department with a major in a closely related field.
• Have financial need as determined by the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and the MSU Denver Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships.
• Write an essay in which you answer the prompt: “How will this specific study abroad experience contribute to your own artistic work and/or professional aspirations for a career in the visual arts?”

To apply:

• Click the “Apply Here” button on the MSU Denver General Scholarship Application page.
• Under scholarships, search for the Robert B. Daniels Memorial Endowed Scholarship and complete the required essay.
• Complete your FAFSA.