The THEA Foundation is proud to announce the THEA Foundation Visual Arts Scholarship winners for 2008.  This year was a record year for entries that came from 35 Arkansas high schools.  One hundred and thirty-five seniors and sixty-three juniors competed for the THEA Foundation Visual Arts Scholarships.

THEA scholarships are comprised of donations from the THEA Foundation and the THEA Business and Family Partners.  At the present time, ten scholarships are awarded in the Visual Arts Competition and ten scholarships are awarded in the Performing Arts Competition.  They range in value from $2,000 to $4,000.

THEA's Education Partners consist of 25 colleges, universities, and art institutes in Arkansas and outside the state.  A THEA winner who chooses to attend one of our education partners will receive extra scholarship awards from that institution. For more information click HERE.

This year’s theme , “Acceptance of others by recognizing our similarities, rather than our differences.”   Each year the competition is based on a different theme each year taken from Thea's high school journal.  To read Thea’s journal entries click HERE.

"A Theme to Live By"

I wish people would not be judgmental. Judging a person on their appearance happens ALL the time. Some people who do not know me think I am a snob, which is totally untrue. If you get to know me, I am a pretty cool cat. It is really sad when people judge others by their appearance and think lowly of them because they seem a little different. We need to live like God wants us to live – in harmony with one another. We need to accept each other for who we are instead of what we look like. Personality is the most important characteristic of every person.  

Thea Kay Leopoulos  2001

Judges for 2008

Gloria Garrison - Artist

Bill Garrison - Artist

John Keller - Artist, Chair Harding University Art Department

Don Lee - Artist, Chair U of A Fort Smith Art Department

Bill Lewis - Artist

Ron Logan - Artist

Stephano Sutherlin - Artist

Doris WmSon Mapes - Artist

Doug Waterfield - Artist, Chair Southern Arkansas U. Art Dept.

Sondra Williams - Artist, U. of Nebraska Art Department

Scoring of the judging process provided by the accounting firm of

Huffman Webb Smith & Cole, PLC

We wish to thank these judges and the accounting firm for their hard

work and time given to this process.

To view our top 15 senior and junior winners see the links at the top of this page.