Art League RI is delighted to announce that Cassie Taber is a 2023 recipient of the Iona Blake Dobbins Scholarship Fund for the Visual Arts.
Statement from the artist:
I am incredibly grateful to have received the Iona Blake Dobbins Scholarship, which has allowed me to pursue a higher education in the arts. At eighteen years old, I have seen many of my peers fall victim to substance abuse, including members of my own family. It is for this reason that I want to pursue a future career in the arts, specifically as a high school-level art teacher. I believe that with a welcoming classroom environment and an understanding of how artistic expression can benefit mental health, I will be able to give students the tools they might not receive in their private lives, to better care for themselves emotionally. Art is a critical tool in bettering our youth’s mental health; it can help students better understand themselves and potentially protect them from falling victim to substance abuse. As an educator, I would strive to prove that. The Iona Blake Scholarship has given me the financial assistance I need to pursue a degree that will allow me to become an art educator.
— Cassie Taber
For more information about the Iona Blake Dobbins Scholarship Fund for the Visual Arts, check HERE