Hello! My name is Kristy Lovich and I am a self-taught artist and a community/cultural worker, living in beautiful Boyle Heights, California.
This year I was accepted to Art Center College of Design as an Under Graduate student in the Fine Art Department. The news of my acceptance arrived after I had worked for over six months, preparing my portfolio, toiling away over my essays, and quite frankly – investing all available energy (and some unavailable) into my lifelong dream of attending art school, more specifically: Art Center.
My eventual decision to apply to one of the top art and design colleges in the country came at a moment when I was faced with my reality: I have been working full time since I was fifteen years old, never obtained a high school diploma, and despite all of my experience in the arts and community work, the fact that I had no formal education nor the time and space to invest in my work as an artist prevented me from fully realizing my goals.
I placed all my hope and intention into my application, knowing that if I was accepted to this school, I would find a way to fund it. My working class sensibilities are laced with tenacity and resourcefulness and this wasn’t going to be another “maybe someday” story, shelved alongside pipe dreams and just-out-of-reach opportunities. This is my education and I am going to claim it.
The BIG Question: How am I going to fund my education?
Currently, I am surviving on about $1,000 per month and my family is not in a position to contribute financially to this goal. Though the cards often seem stacked against me , there’s no reason to abandon my fighting disposition now. I believe in my art, I believe in myself, and I believe in the power of grassroots self-sustainability.
I received partial scholarship, federal loans, and a Pell grant, totalling $12,025 per term – however I am still sitting with a sizable deficit to contend with. The total cost for one term at Art Center is $16,000 (total program cost is $128,000). My goal is to raise another $4,000 by the end of August 2010 in order to pay the tuition for my first term, at the close of which, I will have another opportunity to earn further scholarship funding through Art Center’s scholarship program.
What’s the plan?
I admit that when I reviewed the costs and tuition for Art Center, I was tempted to abandon the idea all together. However, I have been a part of community organizing work, youth development work, and public arts for over ten years and throughout this time, I have witnessed what blossoms out of sheer determination: the impossible is made possible.
I don’t believe that high quality education is only for those people that can afford it – education is a human right.
Inspired by the communities I am a part of and my DIY vision, I decided that my art can fund this program. I created this website as the center of my fundraising efforts, making available for purchase prints and original works. Every piece of art sold will contribute directly to my tuition and little by little (and with your support) the means to attend this school will be built.
How can you help?
I am accepting donations through PayPal. Please follow the link on the left side of this page title “Donate Thru PayPal”. Thank you in advance for your contributions.
In addition to donations, I do have artworks and prints available for purchase. Please email grassrootstudent@yahoo.com to find out how you can become a collector!
Learn More About Me
Please feel free to take a look at my resume, portfolio, and the “Why Art?” page to find out more. I am happy to answer any of your questions and I offer many thanks in advance for your support.
