MRIGlobal Awards Paseo Academy Students with Scholarships to Kansas City Art Institute Summer Program
Two students will earn college credits, build portfolio at KCAI Pre-College ArtLab
(Kansas City, MO) May 11, 2012 – MRIGlobal today presented two students from Paseo Academy of Fine and Performing Arts with full scholarships to attend the Kansas City Art Institute’s Pre College ArtLab.
Scholarship recipients Stephanie Meixuerio and JaiDa Simmons, both seniors in the coming school year, are students of Pamela Sahl, Visual Art Chair at Paseo Academy. After completing the ArtLab program, the students will earn three hours of college credit.
“The Kansas City Art Institute’s Pre-College ArtLab is a wonderful opportunity for young artists to spend three intense weeks in a college art residency program. I applaud the generosity and commitment of MRIGlobal,” said Pamela Sahl, Visual Art Chair at Paseo Academy of Fine and Performing Arts. In the last three years, MRIGlobal has provided scholarships to five Paseo students who are selected on the basis of artistic and scholastic accomplishment in their high school years.
The scholarship presentation was made during the senior art show and sale at Paseo Academy. The show includes artwork created by last year’s ArtLab scholarship recipients Andrea Esparza and Roudlyn Elmonis.
“The scholarship MRIGlobal awarded to me last year was very helpful,” said Esparza, who will attend the Kansas City Art Institute this fall. “The program gave me a portfolio and confidence in my art.”
MRIGlobal’s long-standing Paseo Partnership is made possible through the Charles N. Kimball Fund, which was established in honor of its president from 1950 to 1979. MRIGlobal’s Paseo Partnership includes sponsorship and coaching of the school’s FIRST robotics program; an after-school tutoring program; the art institute scholarships, and a newly launched literacy program.
About MRIGlobal
MRIGlobal, a not-for-profit research and development organization, delivers global solutions in national security and defense, energy and environment, life and animal sciences, agriculture and food safety, and transportation. The organization performs scientific research, advanced engineering and program integration and management for clients in government, industry and academia. Established in 1944 as Midwest Research Institute, MRIGlobal is based in Kansas City, Mo., operates in nine states and Washington, D.C., and manages more than 3,300 employees.
The organization is one of two partners in the Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC, which manages and operates the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in Golden, Colo., for the U.S. Department of Energy. MRIGlobal established and manages SolarTAC and supports the National Energy Technology Laboratory for the DOE to develop technologies for clean coal, carbon management, energy efficiency and techno/economic analysis of energy systems.
For more information, visit www.mriglobal.org.
About the Charles N. Kimball Fund
MRIGlobal’s Kimball Fund is purposed for support of science, technology, engineering, art, and math education. The fund is named for Dr. Charles N. Kimball, the institute’s President from 1950 to 1975, who led MRIGlobal into national prominence. He was Chairman of the Board of Trustees until 1979; he served as president emeritus until his death in 1994. A civic booster for Kansas City and the region, Kimball was active in campaigns to bring major league baseball to Kansas City, to establish Kansas City as one of 10 federal regional centers, and a co-founder of Science Pioneers. His influence in the area spanned civic, business, scientific, and arts communities.
About The Kansas City Art Institute (KCAI)
The Kansas City Art Institute is a private, independent four-year college of art and design awarding the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree with majors in animation, art history, ceramics, digital filmmaking, digital media, fiber, graphic design, illustration, painting, photography, printmaking, sculpture and studio art with an emphasis on creative writing. The college also offers certificate programs in Community Arts and Service Learning and in Asian Studies for students enrolled in the B.F.A. program. KCAI hosts “Current Perspectives,” a free public lecture series; free exhibitions at the H&R Block Artspace gallery; and evening, weekend and summer classes in art, design, multimedia studies and desktop publishing for children, youth and adults. Founded in 1885, KCAI is Kansas City’s oldest arts organization. For more information, contact Lauren Tobin, 816-802-3535 or ltobin@kcai.edu
About The Kansas City Art Institutes’ Pre-College ArtLab
KCAI’s Pre-College ArtLab (PCAL) is a three-week, residency program for high school students and graduating seniors. Students accepted into the PCAL program will choose a studio major and also take a liberal arts course as well as an intensive life drawing course. The program will help students discover firsthand the commitment it takes to be an artist. The 2012 session runs July 8-27.