2022 BIPOC Artist & Writer Scholarship

The following is a Q&A  by Sam Layco, Co-Managing Editor of the Exponent II Magazine. This scholarship is sponsored by a new community fund. You can donate to this fund here by specifying ‘BIPOC Scholarship’ in the notes. Current fund totals are announced in the monthly newsletter.

*

What is the mission of this scholarship?
We wish to amplify the voices of BIPOC artists and writers in the LDS community by lending needed support to continue developing their work. Applicants should identify with the mission of Exponent II.

How can I apply for the scholarship?
Please provide your name, contact information, and a brief cover letter (500 words) about how you will use this scholarship to support your work. In addition:

• Artists: Attach examples of your work through pictures of your art or relevant links to your portfolio (website, Instagram, etc.).
• Writers: Attach a writing sample of up to 10 pages (double-spaced).

Send all materials by April 10, 2022, to exponentiieditor@gmail.com with the subject BIPOC Artist and Writer Scholarship 2022. Recipients will be announced on May 22, 2022, and will be featured in our Summer 2022 Issue.

Note: Priority will be given to applicants who have not won an Exponent scholarship in the past.

Is there an age requirement?
Applicants should be at least 18 years old.

What can the money be used for?
We want these funds to meet artists and writers wherever they are in their careers. The money can be used for professional development, education, art supplies, or to compensate you for your time creating. The goal is simply to help artists of color to be able to successfully work in the artistic world.

How much money is available?
We are starting small and hoping to grow as we solicit more donors. At the moment, we have $608.51 donated toward this scholarship fund as of October 26, 2021. We are collecting funds until April 3, 2022, and will announce the final amount on April 10, 2022.

How much applicants receive will depend on how many applications we get and our ability to grow the initiative.

If you would like to donate or know of others who are able to contribute, follow this link and note that the donation is for the BIPOC Artist & Writer Scholarship.

Who decides how the money will be distributed?
A big thanks to K Dawn, Elizabeth Sanchez, Allison Hong Merrill, and Melissa-Malcolm King — our all-BIPOC panelists — who will review this year’s applications.