We are proud to share the scholarship recipients and featured artists from our 2023 AKA x SVA Scholarship Program. There were many incredible student entries, and it was hard to select our grand prize winner and 4 runners-up. The theme this year was New York City’s art and culture scene – students took inspiration from museums, Broadway theaters, concerts. This program is one of the highlights each year, we so enjoy getting to foster and invest in upcoming creative talent.
As a surprise, we have made these selected works all downloadable wallpapers for your mobile phone.
To save on an iPhone or iPad: press + hold on the image, save!
Artist: Anjali Kamat
Inspiration: “I was thinking about how nervous I would feel before ‘The Big Night’ if I were a theatre performer – and what it would take to ground me before the show. What usually does the trick is a word of encouragement or affirmation from a loved one – however small it is, and so that is what I drew.”
Artist: Sheya Chen
Inspiration: “The American Wing is my go-to place for The Metropolitan Museum of Art. I love the sculptures, the streetlights, and the architecture there. The shadows cast by the sun are also beautiful there.”
Artist: Yaoting Wang
Inspiration: “The name of the work is ‘queue up here,’ inspired by the long queue of New York’s Broadway, cute dogs and their owners. So I had the idea of dogs queuing up. In the picture, the dog replaces the owner holding the ticket to the theater and waiting quietly to enter.”
Artist: Zixin Chen
Inspiration: “In New York, you can be anyone.”
Artist: Kathleen Ma
Inspiration: “I have always felt that the exhibits at The Met are alive. As I got close to them, it was almost like being integrated into their world, that I lived in the same time as them. The exhibits came to life and invited me to their world.”
Artist: Xinyue Chen
Inspiration: “My favorite thing about New York is absolutely all the concerts. So in this piece, I captured an audience moved to tears among an enthusiastic crowd. To me, the most beautiful thing about live music is when you completely understand the emotion that the musicians are expressing on the stage. And in that moment, your life and many other’s lives are connected because of the music.”
Artist: Divyakshi Kedia
Inspiration: “Show posters plastered around New York City transport me back to my first show. I remember the lingering excitement, anticipation, and the enchantment with the performing arts. These posters are a constant reminder that the city we live in is full of dance, music, and celebration.”
Artist: Vivi Chang
Inspiration: “This illustration depicts the fusion of culture and art in New York City, including museums, jazz, and Broadway shows, celebrating all forms of cultural and artistic activities. Art is in the air in this big city. It is a magical feast for everybody!”
Artist: Alex Lee
Inspiration: “I didn’t know there was a name for the people that check your ticket, handout Playbills, and guide you to your seats. Ushers make sure that I and everyone else at the theater have a good time. They greet you at the entrance and wave goodbye while guiding you to the exit. I wonder where the disappear when the show starts. Are they on stand-by in the shadows, calmly waiting for Act 1 to end?”
Artist: Kexin Li
Inspiration: “After watching a video of a ballet performance. I decided to depict a series of movement through this work. I created this character, a ballerina resting outside the theater after a show. The smoke from her cigarette, along with her thinking of the dance steps, floats into the air, decorating the streets of New York, lighting up a cold dark winter night.”
Artist: Manyun Cai
Inspiration: “New York is the most populous city in the United States. New York City offers infinite possibilities. It’s a city where you can meet the past and foresee the future.”
Artist: Chloe Giroux
Inspiration: “I am not a dancer, but I can try to imagine the flourishing excitement one might feel before a performance. I can assume it must be a cocktail of emotions; filled to the brim and about to overflow the glass. In this ink and gouache piece, I wanted to capture that electric feeling of peeking through the stage curtain, seeing the audience, the stage before you glowing, waiting for the show to begin.”