The Art Club has granted hundreds of thousands of dollars to local students pursuing arts education in degree-granting programs.  It is unusual for a small town to enjoy a scholarship program which is able to provide substantial support to students pursuing careers in the arts. Among former Saugatuck Douglas Art Club Scholars are many people who are successfully pursuing careers as practicing artists, performing artists, designers and art educators.

From the Scholarship Chair 
Danielle Hanna

​Dear Applicant,

In order to qualify for this grant you must be enrolled full-time at an accredited institution seeking a degree in the visual arts, art history, art education, commercial design, or architecture, and you must satisfy certain residence and participation requirements. In some circumstances, a middle/high school student may apply for a mini-grant for special programs, which will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

Please fill out and return the entire application along with a copy of your registration for classes.  You may apply for consideration even if you do not yet have the registration, but your grant money will not be issued until we have proof of your enrollment.  To distribute funds, we need a hard copy of this information according to the laws of the state of Michigan.

The annual amount of the grant will be paid in two installments.  Providing that your paperwork is in order and you have completed your volunteer requirements (please see below), you will receive your first $500 check in September or October and your second $500 check in January or February. 

While it is not necessary to fill out another application for each consecutive semester/year, to earn and retain your grant we will ask you to do two things.

• The first is to volunteer at the two Saugatuck/Douglas Art Club art fairs each summer. For each fair you work you will be eligible for one $500 check.  In other words, to receive the entire $1000 scholarship, you will need to work both fairs. These fairs, usually the first and last Saturdays of July, are the way scholarship funds are raised and you will be asked to spend a few hours assisting with unloading, packing up, traffic control, or photography. Please make sure that you send me current email addresses in order to receive a volunteer signup form each June. For exact dates of the fair each year, please check the art club’s website at www.saugatuckdouglasartclub.org.
  
• The second requirement is to send or email a copy of your schedule so we can verify that you are still enrolled in an art degree-seeking program at an accredited institution. Remember, you will not receive a check if we do not first receive a detailed schedule from you.

Please complete your application by May 1st for consideration for the fall semester.

If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to give me a call at (269) 857-2133, extension 122 or at home at 231-590-5942.  

Sincerely,
Danielle Hanna

Student Grant Guidelines

1. The recipient must be a graduate of the Saugatuck school district or the son or daughter of a full or part-time resident who is an active club member.  An exception may be made for a Saugatuck High School graduate whose parents have left the district.
2. Grant recipients must attend full-time in a matriculated program at a college or university or a degree-granting art school. Full-time is considered to be twelve or more credit hours per semester. Part-time students may qualify for a part-time grant. Please send proper documentation each fall and winter semesters in which you are applying.
3. The recipient must be an art major in fine or applied arts, which include visual arts, art history, art education, commercial design, photography, and architecture.
4. Grant money must be applied to a Bachelor or Master of Arts program.  Anything else may be taken under special consideration by the art club board.
   
5. There will be no restrictions based on age, race, or need of applicant.

Mini Grants

​Undergraduate grants of up to $300 may be awarded to middle or high school students attending visual art programs at not-for-profit schools (e.g. Blue Lake Fines Arts Camp or early college programs such as the “Rising Star” program at Savannah College of Art and Design). These will be considered on a case-by-case basis and will depend on availability of funds.