Arts Scholarships
The Eugenie Coladarci and Elaine Ehlers Arts Scholarships
Each year, Morris Arts offers the Eugenie Coladarci ($1,500) and Elaine Ehlers ($5,000) Arts Scholarships to recognize graduating high school seniors who have exhibited artistic excellence in dance, drama, visual arts, or music.
Eugenie Coladarci Arts Scholarship
The Eugenie Coladarci Arts Scholarship was first awarded in 1999 in memory of Eugenie R. Coladarci, who was Vice President of Marketing and Public Relations at Chase Manhattan Bank and an active member of Morris Arts for 11 years. She was completing her first term as Board Chair when she passed away in 1997. As a statewide champion of the arts, Genie encouraged the development of young artists and believed in the value of the arts to the quality of life. The idea of a scholarship to assist talented young people wishing to continue their study in the arts was very important to her.
Elaine Ehlers Arts Scholarship
The Elaine Ehlers Arts Scholarship was established in 2002 in memory of Elaine Ehlers, a healthcare administrator by profession, who had a voracious appetite for all things artistic and musical. She derived intellectual and emotional sustenance from the arts and supported programs at many museums and musical institutions. By establishing this scholarship, an enduring legacy has been created to reward those who possess artistic talent and who plan to further their arts education.
How To Apply
Completing an application automatically qualifies students for consideration for either scholarship. Applications will open in January 2026. As it gets closer, we will provide exact dates and deadlines for 2026 applications.
To apply, students are required to submit artistic work samples, two brief essays, a list of artistic activities and/or special awards and recognitions within an online application form. Two letters of recommendation are to be submitted separately via email to Cyndall Brice at cbrice@morrisarts.org.
Application Checklist
- Complete and submit online application including a .pdf or .doc file containing essay responses and links to properly labeled work samples.
- Have two teachers submit letters of recommendations via email to Cyndall Brice at cbrice@morrisarts.org.
- Optional step: We do allow applicants to share any additional information (ex. awards, honors, college acceptances) that occurs after they have submitted their application, but before the panel meets to make its final decision (every year’s deadline varies). To share additional information, please email Cyndall Brice at cbrice@morrisarts.org with “Scholarships” as the subject line.
Eligibility and Evaluation
To be eligible for scholarship opportunities, applicants must:
- Be high school seniors attending public, private, or parochial school in New Jersey
- Be Morris County residents
- Have plans to pursue post-secondary studies at an accredited institution or acknowledged arts school or fine arts program
- Have demonstrated artistic excellence
Children of Morris Arts trustees, staff, and panelists are NOT eligible.
Applicants are judged by a panel of professionals with a high level of expertise in college arts education and/or professional experience. Each artistic discipline is represented on the panel.
Selection of scholarship winners is based on artistic excellence as demonstrated by the quality of the work samples and application submitted to the panel. Dedication and character is also considered. Each scholarship is paid directly to the student’s selected college/arts program to assist with tuition.
2025 SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS
At Giralda Music & Arts Festival 2025, we presented the Eugenie Coladarci and Elaine Ehlers Arts Scholarships to our 2025 winners. Visual Artist Prittha Palkar from Morristown High School was awarded the Eugenie Coladarci Scholarship and Visual Artist Matthew Kraut of Montville High School was awarded the Elaine Ehlers Scholarship. Visual Artist Jasmine Smith of West Morris Central High School and Visual Artist Jillian Kurland of Morris Hills High School each received an Honorable Mention.
Matthew Kraut
Visual Artist Matthew Kraut has been taking art lessons since elementary school and has studied a variety of mediums. Over the years, he has used his artistic abilities on several projects including set design for high school theater productions where he led the design, construction, and painting of sets and props. He joined Montville High School’s Art Club as a freshman and participated all through his high school experience. His artwork was selected to be displayed at the Blackwell Street Juried Student Exhibit in 2024. Matthew will be studying architecture at Washington University in St. Louis beginning in fall 2025.
Prittha Palkar
Prittha Palkar is a visual artist with a focus on drawing and painting. She took several art classes during her time at Morristown High School including photography, ceramics, and AP studio art. Additionally, Prittha participated in National Art Honor Society for 3 years and served as Vice President her senior year. She has worked on various community service projects including murals in town and at Morristown schools. Beginning in fall 2025, Prittha will be attending Parsons School of Design where she is interested in studying animation and illustration.
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