Festival awards 2023 scholarships

By Reader Staff

The Festival at Sandpoint announced May 23 that there are five recipients in the nonprofit arts organization’s 2023 scholarship program.

Violinist Hannah Adams was selected as the winner of the 2023 Festival at Sandpoint Instrumental Scholarship, recognizing her participation in community and school orchestras in Coeur d’Alene and Spokane — as well as the North Idaho Youth Symphony — and work offering private beginners’ lessons. She also performs in assisted-care facilities, and plans to attend Belmont University in Tennessee, after which her goal is to come home to Sandpoint and establish a program for string instrumentalists.

Cellist Evan Schwenk — who performs with several chamber orchestras, including the Music Conservatory of Sandpoint, and teaches orchestra and cello at the Sandpoint Christian School and Suzuki String Academy — was selected as the runner-up for the Instrumental Scholarship.

Arie VanDenBerg received the 2023 Charley Packard Memorial Songwriting Scholarship with his original song “We

Ain’t Done,” performed on guitar. VanDenBerg has been primarily self-taught, and “uses songwriting as a creative outlet to decompress from school and sports,” according to the Festival. He anticipates attending Chapman University in California to study business.

The Festival at Sandpoint also partners with Angels Over Sandpoint to award an Arts Scholarship. The focus for 2023 was writing, with previous years geared toward visual arts, dance and theater, and vocal performance.

Winner Elizabeth Couch was selected for her diverse portfolio of creative writing featuring poetry, short stories and nonfiction. She also enjoys writing fantasy and literary fiction, crediting her teachers and the Sandpoint High School Creative Writing Club for her inspiration.

Finally, Max Bazler won the scholarship for the 2023 Lineup Poster Artist Contest, with funds intended to support continuing his education at North Idaho College, where he is pursuing a degree in graphic and web design. See Bazler’s work at maxbazler. com and view the 2023 Festival at Sandpoint lineup poster at festivalatsandpoint. com/lineup-archive.

In addition to its annual summer concert series, the Festival supports music education and engagement year round through a variety of programs, including awarding more than $6,000 in scholarships to local students.

To learn more about our 2023 scholarship winners, visit festivalatsandpoint.com/ scholarship-winners.