Applications now being accepted for wica scholarship

WICA Managing Director Billy Tierney presents 2024 Oak Harbor High School recipient Vanessa Cisco with her scholarship.

High school students interested in pursuing the arts in higher education can apply for a scholarship from Whidbey Island Center for the Arts.

Launched in 2023, the Bridge Family Scholarship is an island-wide initiative to support recent graduates in the Oak Harbor, Coupeville, and South Whidbey school districts. Originally founded by and named for Bobbe Bridge, a retired Washington State Supreme Court Judge and WICA Board Member, and her husband Jon Bridge and their family, the scholarship has supported a total of six students so far.

The scholarship is currently open to seniors who will be pursuing art training at an accredited institution (music, dance, theater, visual, or humanities). The student does not have to major in art.

The scholarship ranges from $1,000 to $3,000. The application deadline is April 25. The applications can be found at each school's financial aid office. For seniors attending a private school on the island, contact info@WICAonline.org to receive the application.

Bobbe Bridge said the scholarships help support the dreams of an extraordinary number of very talented young people in Whidbey.

"We hope to encourage even more students to apply for these scholarships, and we are actively pursuing additional funding so that more students can benefit," she said. "Scholarships will increase the number of folks who participate in arts activities on the island and will also contribute to the development of broader and more diverse audiences for the work of new artists in the future."