ShadFest Scholarship Application
The 2025 application in now open!
Contact us if you have any questions about the scholarship.
Please note that incomplete applications will not be accepted.
Please note that incomplete applications will not be accepted.
Students: Your completed application must be submitted by Monday, March 24th, 2025 at 11:59 PM.
Teachers and Guidance Counselors: Supporting materials must be submitted by Friday, April 4th, 2025 at 11:59 PM.
Teachers and Guidance Counselors: Supporting materials must be submitted by Friday, April 4th, 2025 at 11:59 PM.
Applicants must live in the South Hunterdon Regional High School or New Hope-Solebury High School sending districts. They can be attending public or private high schools, and current college students no older than 20 years of age from these areas are eligible to apply as well. The money is to be used in the pursuit of a degree in fine art, writing, performing arts, or culinary arts.
The scholarship is merit-based. If no applicants are deemed eligible to receive the Jim Hamilton Memorial ShadFest Scholarship, the scholarship money will be held for future years.
The selection of recipients is made by the scholarship review committee. Their decision is based on a portfolio review, a personal statement submitted by the applicant, and the recommendations from the applicant's teacher and guidance counselor as well as on the applicant's presentation during the interview. In addition to skill and creative thinking, the committee will consider the candidate's likelihood of finishing a four-year degree and how the applicant intends to represent the Delaware River Towns in the wider world. Faced with two students of equal talent, financial need will be taken into account, and first priority will be given to high school seniors.
To be considered for the Jim Hamilton Memorial ShadFest Scholarship, you must submit a completed application and be available for an in-person interview.
The scholarship is merit-based. If no applicants are deemed eligible to receive the Jim Hamilton Memorial ShadFest Scholarship, the scholarship money will be held for future years.
The selection of recipients is made by the scholarship review committee. Their decision is based on a portfolio review, a personal statement submitted by the applicant, and the recommendations from the applicant's teacher and guidance counselor as well as on the applicant's presentation during the interview. In addition to skill and creative thinking, the committee will consider the candidate's likelihood of finishing a four-year degree and how the applicant intends to represent the Delaware River Towns in the wider world. Faced with two students of equal talent, financial need will be taken into account, and first priority will be given to high school seniors.
To be considered for the Jim Hamilton Memorial ShadFest Scholarship, you must submit a completed application and be available for an in-person interview.
Please prepare the following before filling out the ShadFest Scholarship application form.
- The portfolio of works must contain at least 5 and no more than 10 examples of your work - please see specifics below. Portfolios will be judged on potential, accomplishment, attitude, and intent. Digital portfolios are strongly preferred, but visual artists are encouraged to bring representative pieces to the interview.
- Visual artists: please upload 10 images. The images should be submitted as jpegs saved at 72 dpi and a minimum of 800 x 800 pixels.
- Performing artists: please provide links to 5 audio/video files that are no longer than 5 minutes each. These links should be submitted in a PDF, and, accompanying each link, please include a brief description of the performance - what is being performed, where, and with whom. The description of each performance should be no more than 200 words.
- Writers: please upload 5 writing samples that are no longer than 1,000 words each, submitted as PDFs
- Culinary artists: please submit photos of 5 dishes you have made. The photos should be jpegs saved at 72 dpi and a minimum of 800 x 800 pixels, and they should be accompanied by the recipes, which should be submitted as PDFs. If the recipe is original, please tell us what inspired you to combine these flavors. If you are cooking from a recipe, please tell us if you added something that made the dish your own.
- The 500-word personal statement must answer the following questions:
- Visual artists, performing artists, and writers:
- What motivates you as an artist?
- Why do you want to make art your profession?
- How do you see the role of art in the community?
- Culinary artists:
- What motivates you as a culinary artist?
- What motivates you to make food in your profession?
- How do you see the role of food in the community?
- Visual artists, performing artists, and writers:
Once you have completed the application form, your guidance counselor and art teacher will automatically be sent an email requesting that they upload the following documents. We require that these supporting materials come directly from your guidance counselor and art teacher.
- Student Transcript: student must maintain at least a C average to be eligible.
- Student Activity Inventory: please highlight community service.
- Guidance Counselor Letter of Recommendation
- Art Teacher Letter of Recommendation