Darkzel Art Scholarship 2016-17

+Grim Jim / James Desborough and I do not see eye to eye on everything but we do have some significant common ground. I've always felt that artists in our hobby are underpaid, whether they are "A" names like Doug Kovacs or skilled unknowns just finding their way, taking their first steps to getting their works published in this hobby of ours. Yes, I call it a hobby - its my perspective. For others, this is a business and a livelihood.

Well, James has put together a scholarship fund to assist artists like the one this scholarship is named after:

This will be the fourth annual fundraiser in memory of my long-time art collaborator ‘Zel’ Harris, cruelly taken from us in a terrible accident, putting paid to what I always thought was a very promising career in art. In his memory and given working for me helped him through his education, I have set up an annual scholarship to aid genre artists working their way through college or in reduced circumstances such as disability, long term unemployment, mental health crises and other hardships. 

The fundraising part will run through the month of December and we’ll be accepting entries through December and January before awarding the scholarship by the end of February. 

We already have a fund of $100 from this year’s art sales, I’ll be seeking to raise another $500 on top of that for a total of at least $600 as a scholarship. 

The aim is still to make the scholarship self funding and it has become apparent that a much stronger effort is going to be needed to make this happen. As such I’m doing a big push this year for donation art. As well as supporting with financial contributions, sharing on social media etc I will be hitting up artists for contributions that can be sold to help support the scholarship in the coming years. 

More information will be coming soon, but for now if you’re an artist or know artists and are willing to help, please contact me about submitting a piece for sale (as stock art) to help continue to fund the scholarship. Your work will be sold electronically and will be used – with credit – by multiple role-playing and publishing companies as well as contributing via the sales to the fund. 

These pieces should be genre fiction (science fiction, fantasy, horror, superheroes or similar) and 300-600dpi. Old pieces or concept pieces you haven’t otherwise sold are perfectly acceptable. 

I think you, in advance, for your aid, whether in donating art or helping with the publicity and fundraising in the near future! 

Love and bunnies,
Grim

So, how can you help?

Here's the link to enter if you are an artist in need of assistance or have art to donate.

Here's the link to donate to the fund.

If you do donate, please make a note of it in the comments below. The Tavern will match the first $50 raised by Tavern Readers by 1159 PM, Eastern, Sunday January 8th, 2017.