THE DAVE SHAW AND DIANE EDWARDS CREATIVE PURSUIT FUND

Applications due May 15th, 2025
Awards announced May 30th, 2025

March 13, 2025 (Springfield) - The Springfield Art Association is pleased to announce a new monetary award in memory of Dave Shaw and Diane Edwards.
 
Dave Shaw was a beloved Visual Art and Drama teacher at Rochester High School. He was an accomplished artist, set designer, and spectacular supporter of all his students and their creative endeavors.
 
Diane Edwards was passionate about education. She was an elementary school teacher for many years. She was also a great supporter and patron of the arts, particularly the local art scene. She was married to Jim Edwards, a local artist and art educator.
 
The estates of both Dave Shaw and Diane Edwards have endowed funds to the Springfield Art Association to be used to encourage creative pursuits in the visual arts or theater. These funds can be used as traditional scholarships for school tuition or supplies, but they can also be used in non-traditional ways like traveling to explore a foreign country, travel to a workshop with a master artist, take some time to do a residency and focus on your work, or fulfill some other creative dream. The beauty of this fund is that you will tell us what you want to do to grow as an artist and we may help fund that goal.
 
If your creative pursuit is funded, you will be required to submit written descriptions and photos of your adventures and progress at regular intervals, as well as a final report that can be passed on to our benefactor’s families.
 
This fund is open to applicants of all ages who reside in central Illinois. For this first fund distribution we will award a total of $3,000. This may be applied to just one proposal or spread across several.
 
To learn more and apply, go to https://www.springfieldart.org/the-dave-shawdiane-edwards-creative-pursuit-fund.html to read the guidelines, complete the application form, and submit a proposal telling us about you, what you want to do, how and when you plan to do it, and the full cost of the proposal.
 
All applications must be received by the Springfield Art Association no later than May 15th, 2025. The awards will be announced on May 30th, 2025.
 
For more information on this release please contact Betsy Dollar at director@spsringfieldart.org or call 217-523-2631.