Today, 43rd Florida Governor Jeb Bush, chairman of the Foundation for Excellence in Education (ExcelinEd), and former first lady of Florida, Columba Bush, celebrated the 25th anniversary of Arts for Life! along with this year’s scholarship winners during a luncheon and awards ceremony hosted at the Knight Center for Music Innovation at the University of Miami’s Frost School of Music.
Mrs. Bush, a passionate advocate for the arts and arts education, established Arts for Life! in 1999 to recognize the creativity and artistic talents of Florida’s high school students. In the program’s 25 years, more than $700,000 in scholarships have been awarded to 600 talented students in recognition of their achievement in the arts.
“For 25 years and counting, Arts for Life! scholarships have nurtured such amazing creativity—and this year is no different. Florida’s talented young artists are truly an inspiration, and my hope is that these scholarships allow each musician, writer, performer, filmmaker and artist to pursue their dreams.”
Mrs. Columba Bush
Arts for Life! annually awards cash scholarships to 25 of Florida’s graduating high school seniors who excel in the arts. The 2024 winners were selected from more than 630 exceptional high school seniors from 44 counties across Florida, with students in public, magnet, charter, virtual and private schools, as well as home education programs vying for the prestigious award. This year’s scholarship winners were selected by a committee of respected experts in each of the scholarship’s six disciplines: creative writing, dance, drama, film, music and visual art.
Prior to the luncheon, students participated in the annual Arts for Life! Artist Symposium, a panel of professionals representing several arts disciplines offering guidance and advice based on their experiences. Several of the event’s invited speakers were past Arts for Life! scholarship winners who are now accomplished professionals in artistic fields. The 2024 winners in attendance also performed or displayed their art in the discipline for which they were awarded.
The Foundation for Excellence in Education would like to thank Kyra Solutions, Publix Super Markets Charities, The Cobb Family Foundation, Dr. Zachariah P. Zachariah, Kathleen M. Shanahan and Raquel A. Rodriguez for their generous support of Arts for Life!
