DALLAS (June 10, 2009) – In its continuing efforts to support and encourage promising artistic talent, the Goss-Michael Foundation has announced the winners of four $5,000 scholarships – the George Michael Music Scholarship and the Kenny Goss Art Scholarship for students from the Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in Dallas, the state-wide Goss-Michael Foundation Texas Art Scholarship for visual arts and the Goss-Michael Foundation DFW Art Scholarship for visual arts.   

With the winners chosen by a noted panel of renowned art experts including Frank Hettig of Heritage Auctions,  Michael Lippman of Lippman Entertainment, writer and art critic Janet Kutner, and art educator Karen Weiner,these annual scholarships enable the Goss-Michael Foundation to financially assist high school seniors as they embark on their college careers. All four scholarships will be applied toward tuition at the winner’s post-graduate school, upon acceptance.              

Kenny Goss, co-founder of the Goss-Michael Foundation, along with his partner, recording artist George Michael, created the George Michael Music Scholarship and the Kenny Goss Art Scholarship to foster continued interest in art and music among high school students. Presented annually to two graduating seniors from the prestigious Booker T. Washington High School, both scholarships are awarded to students with plans to pursue their musical and artistic aspirations following graduation. 

Bekah Otis of DeSoto, TX is the recipient of the 2009 Kenny Goss Art Scholarship.  Otis’s work was selected for her “marvelous use of different media, surfaces and subjects.” Otis will be pursuing a post-graduate education in the arts at Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore this fall. 

The Goss-Michael Foundation is also pleased to announce that Anna Dingwall of Plano, TX, a truly accomplished singer, won this year’s George Michael Music Scholarship. Dingwall will further her musical studies this fall as a student at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles.

The Goss-Michael Foundation Texas Art Scholarship is given annually to a select Texas high school senior who demonstrates not only extraordinary artistic talent, but significant scholastic achievements, leadership, and school and community participation. This year the scholarship was awarded to Houston high school senior Ashley Aleman of Pasadena Memorial High School. Her work was chosen from among 95 talented, young artists throughout the state. Already an outstanding photographer, this fall Aleman will continue her artistic pursuits at San JacintoCommunity College in Pasadena, TX.

On a local level, the Goss-Michael Foundation also annually awards the Goss-Michael Foundation DFW Art Scholarship for visual arts to a student graduating from a Dallas, Fort Worth or surrounding area high school.  The 2009 recipient is HockadaySchool senior Amelia Sargent of Dallas. Her work was chosen from among 54 young visual artists throughout North Texas. This fall Sargent will be pursuing a post-graduate education in the arts at YaleUniversity in New Haven, CT.

Additionally, all four scholarship winners will be recognized on the Goss-Michael Foundation’s website and monthly newsletter. Visual art winners will each have one piece displayed in the Goss-Michael Foundation’s gallery space for one year. 

The Goss Michael Foundation: The goal of The Goss-Michael Foundation is to provide a forum for British Contemporary art by presenting exhibitions, programs and resources to educate, engage and inspire youth and adult audiences in the Dallas area and abroad. Founded by George Michael and Kenny Goss in June 2007, the Foundation showcases the couple’s private collection of British contemporary art by offering the public a rotating schedule of exhibitions.  Through these exhibitions, The Goss-Michael Foundation challenges preconceived art notions and strives to set a new standard in artistic awareness by providing visitors with a fresh and fascinating art experience, as well as an opportunity to interact with the ground-breaking international artists that are responsible for the direction of today’s most influential art trends.

The Goss-Michael Foundation Hours: Tuesday-Friday 10:00am-6:00pm, Saturday 11:00am-4:00pm, Monday by appointment only.