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Santa Barbara, CA — The Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara honored 20 student artists during a reception at Art & Soul Gallery in Santa Barbara on Tuesday, March 3. As winners of the Foundation’s 2026 Art Scholarship Competition, each will receive a college scholarship.
“We have been recognizing student artists from South County high schools through this program for 47 years now, and the winning submissions never fail to impress,” said Melinda Cabrera, president and CEO of the Scholarship Foundation. “Given the level of talent on display this year, it is quite clear that students are receiving superior art instruction in area schools. We are grateful to Art & Soul Gallery for hosting our 2026 art scholarship reception and for beautifully exhibiting the students’ work. We congratulate this year’s winning artists and are proud to provide them with opportunities to continue their studies.”
Each year, the Scholarship Foundation invites high school seniors in Southern Santa Barbara County to submit a portfolio of original work for its art scholarship competition. A panel of prominent local artists judges the submissions. Judging for the 2026 competition took place January 22 at Community Friends of Santa Barbara. Fifty-four student artists competed. Each winner will receive a scholarship in the amount of $3,000 or $3,500; the best of show winner will receive an additional $1,000 scholarship. Serving as judges this year were Isaac Hernandez, Sara Hetyonk Duron, and Meagan Stirling…