Annah Kimball (center) from Gardiner Area High School accepts first prize for her sculpture The Fallen Man at the opening of “A Matter of Conscience,” Harlow Gallery’s juried art show for Maine high school artists (March 2010). Pictured with her are art teacher Cheryl Herr-Rains (left), who helped organize the exhibition, and Cheryl Harper, a nationally recognized artist and curator from Philadelphia, who juried and judged the competition. Photo courtesy of the Kennebec Valley Art Association
The Kennebec Valley Art Association depends heavily on its members to be its boosters, volunteers, and leaders. Since its founding in 1958, the association’s diverse programming, ranging from drawing classes to student and juried exhibitions in the Harlow Gallery in Hallowell, has been sustained by its membership.
In return, the KVAA has honored some of its most loyal supporters by establishing two scholarships in their names.
The Tardiff/Fine Scholarship is named after Antoinette Tardiff, an accomplished painter who taught art as a volunteer at the Augusta Mental Health Institute and in local schools; and Blanche T. Fine, a gallery hostess who continued to support the association even after she moved to Pennsylvania. The KVAA Memorial Scholarship pays tribute to individuals who played key roles in providing art opportunities to people of all ages across the region.
In 2010, the association’s board of directors transferred the scholarship funds to the Maine Community Foundation in an effort to improve ongoing financial management and to further the legacy of these special members. The Tardiff/Fine Scholarship and the KVAA Memorial Scholarship support graduating seniors at, respectively, Cony High School and Hall-Dale High School who are seeking college degrees in the visual arts or arts education -- and who may one day be members of the Kennebec Valley Art Association.