Kyle Ma with Quang Ho in Provence, 2019

Workshops in France 2021 Scholarship  Residency Program

We offer a scholarship opportunity to an artist who is actively pursuing future art goals: this full scholarship will be awarded to one of our exclusive workshops or retreats. Although it is not specifically designed for a younger recipient, we are interested in inspiring the next generation of artists to paint and pursue lives as working artists.

The Workshops in France team is looking for the ideal candidate for a scholarship, someone who wouldn’t be able to attend otherwise. The scholarship is an invitation to experience 10 days in a paradise setting to learn from the best while living and working side-by-side with other artists. Our workshops are attended by all types of artists, from the fearless beginner to the professional painter and everything in between. This kind of exposure to create art alongside others can provide a rare glimpse into the world of artists.

In 2021 a scholarship will be awarded to not just one, but two artists.

We are delighted to announce that applications are now being accepted for the 2021 Workshops in France Scholarship Program.

We created the scholarship program to provide an exceptional environment for someone who normally would not have the means to attend one of our workshops or art retreats and give them a chance to learn from the nurturing experience. We are looking for an artist whose career will be positively impacted by studying under world-renowned instructors or by spending time creating with a peer group of artists at one of our retreats.

The ideal candidate is a productive artist who will use what they learn at the workshop or retreat to create a significant impact on his/her own art career and help nurture a more creative existence. It’s a unique opportunity to absorb a wealth of knowledge from our phenomenal instructors or to gain confidence from interacting with career artists.

This is one of the most beautiful regions on Earth. The benefits will be a definite game-changer for an art career and one’s artistic abilities.

Could you imagine the impact on a scholarship student, who had this chance to work with five leading artists at the historic Americans in Paris Paint Provence Workshop? 

Our current scholarship student, Emiliano Marini

Our current 2020 Scholarship Recipient is Emiliano Marini from the Terni region of Italy. His scholarship has been transferred to 2021 due to the pandemic and he will be joining us next year at the Susan Lyon Workshop with Scott Burdick mentoring, from May 28 – June 6 2021, in Provence.  Emiliano immediately made an impression on us with his evocative landscapes and his desire to pursue traditional techniques.

Stand-out application. 

What made Emiliano’s application stand out was his response when we asked about his long term goals, he said, “I am particularly passionate about bringing traditional art methods back to my home country, where it is incredibly difficult to find classically-trained teachers and the practice of painting from life has nearly disappeared.”

We found that almost ironic since many of the classical techniques used by artists were first codified during the Italian Renaissance.

He also shared, “In the long term, I hope to establish myself as a full-time artist and begin taking on students, working alongside other artists and exhibiting my work in galleries in Italy and abroad. One of my main priorities in the future will also be the creation of a studio for young painters interested in figurative art, specifically those who may not have the means of attending a more prestigious and expensive academy but would nonetheless like access to high-quality training.

Read our interview with Emiliano here. 

First Recipient: Kyle Ma

Our first scholarship winner was Kyle Ma from Austin, Texas. A true virtuoso, Kyle Ma has attained accomplishments and prestige that professional artists everywhere only aspire to. Our retreat leader Julie first encountered Kyle at the Plein Air Art Convention. It turns out he was not only a guest but a demonstrator on stage at the convention (at 16 years old!) His stellar accomplishments have only become more impressive since then.

Kyle Ma and Quang Ho

 In 2019, Kyle joined us for the outstanding Quang Ho Workshop in France. We all enjoyed a spectacular time painting alongside Kyle and the other artists and are thrilled that the workshop gave him new insight and that his career continues to shine.

This is what Kyle had to say about his experience with us: “Quang Ho’s advices were eye-opening and insightful! And there was a good balance in instructional time with time to practice on our own to implement [the] knowledge learned.” Kyle was also delighted to learn about historical artistic approaches.

“There was a lot of discussion about artists from the past and how they would apply the concepts we learned in class in different ways,” he says. “And also how artists of various time periods understood art in different ways.”

Make sure to keep an eye out for Emiliano and Kyle, they are both wonderful artists whose work continues to add beauty to our world.

Are you interested in applying for our scholarship or do you know someone else who would benefit from the experience? Read on.

How to apply for the Scholarship Program:

Artists of all ages and from all countries are welcome to apply. If the applicant chosen is under 18, a fully paying custodial adult is required to accompany them at the workshop. Workshops in France will have the final say in which workshop or retreat will be awarded. 

Email [email protected] to receive an application. The cut-off date to send in applications is November 7, 2020. We look forward to reviewing your application.  

Kyle Ma; Scholarship recipient, 2019