Four recent graduates of Hopewell Valley Central High School have been awarded scholarships to further their education in the fine arts.
Owen Harrison, Eliza Rosenthale, Ruby Reynertson and Meredith Taggart each received $500 from the Hopewell Valley Arts Council.
According to officials, this is the fifth year the scholarships have been awarded to the most creative students in the community.
“These scholarships are a critical part of our mission in encouraging creativity in the Hopewell Valley community and fostering a lifelong participation in the arts,” said Carol Lipson, the Hopewell Valley Arts Council board president.
According to arts council officials, the scholarship winners were students who demonstrated substantial talent and deep interest in their selected area of study, and a commitment to further their education in any aspect of the arts, which includes the fine arts, performing arts, culinary arts, literary arts, or other forms of creative expression.
The 2019 scholarship recipients each work with a different arts medium.
Reynertson is a harpist who will attend Drexel University in Philadelphia. Officials described her enthusiasm for music as contagious.
“My life is driven by passion and self-motivation, with music being one of the most valuable pieces of it,” Reynertson said.
Harrison will attend the University of North Carolina School of the Arts in Chapel Hill, N.C., to pursue a Bachelor of Arts in drama and acting.
“Bringing a character and a story to life is my greatest passion in the world, but it’s much more than just what I do when I’m performing,” he said.
Harrison said his love for acting enriches his life.
“My art has given me a medium through which I can understand myself,” he said.
Rosenthale is a poet who will continue her writing as a student at Rutgers University, New Brunswick.
“To me, writing poetry is more than translating all the sensory details of a fraction of life onto a page,” she said.
Rosenthale said poetry helps her articulate her own self-exploration.
“It is about developing a better understanding of myself,” she said.
Taggart is a studio artist who will attend Boston College’s Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences, Chestnut Hill, Mass.
“I want to encourage people in my community to get involved with art,” she said.
Taggart said she believes in the power of the arts to move people throughout her community.
“Any person can benefit from trying art, no matter their skill-set or experience,” she said.
For more information about the arts council, visit www.hvartscouncil.org