I had the privilege of meeting Alana Taitague at the Creative Canvas Art Camp hosted by Michelle Pier. Speaking of Creative Canvas… art show, y’all. Please attend the art show at the Agana Shopping Center on Saturday, Sept. 2, between 10 a.m. and 8 p.m. The up-and-coming artists will be there at 3 p.m. to meet and greet.
Okay, okay, back to my story…
Watching Alana paint on canvas, I knew instantly she had talent. Of course, I love to chat it up and I’m so glad I did because Alana, a Pacific Islander, was setting off to college on an art scholarship. She lives on the West Coast but visits her family on Guam.
She is the granddaughter of Talofofo Mayor Vicente S. Taitague. It’s so important to know your Guam roots.
I was curious about how to get an art scholarship and she shared her experience with me. I hope this will encourage our people to offer art scholarships, and inspire our rising artists to further their art studies.
But first, who is Alana Taitague? She is a beautiful and talented young artist. She has a humble and quiet spirit, but her art is the opposite; it speaks volumes. I sensed her confidence in her abilities and she is also eager to learn more and take it to the next level.
Alana has been doing art for as long as she can remember. She called it a “hobby.” In high school, she took a lot of art classes and this is when she began to think of art more seriously. She took up classes in advanced ceramics and AP drawing & painting. Her art started to improve with these classes. Inserting my opinion here >>> And this is why we need to keep art in schools.<<<
While in class, she had the freedom to be creative. Best of all, she had access to art supplies allowing her to dabble in glass art, jewelry, and even paint on old vinyl records. Her favorite mediums are gouache and acrylic paint. She has fun using these two mediums together and layering them.
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Her art is mystical.
Her favorite artist is Aya Takano. “I love her work and how whimsical and colorful it is,” Alana said. “She has a very unique style and I admire her.”
Now for the good part: the scholarship. It’s quite simple actually. A local art gallery near where she lives offers an art scholarship program. She applied for it. “Because, why not?”
Her art teacher announced the grand prize winner for the art scholarship and to her surprise, she saw her name. Congratulations, Alana!
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Art scholarships are available locally, online and at colleges. Do the research and check for the requirements when applying. Keep a portfolio of your work. Note if you need to submit your work as a digital file. Guam DOE offers a list of local businesses and clubs that offer scholarships. Apply, apply, apply. Because, why not? You might just surprise yourself too.
Donna Hope Blas is an artist, restoration artist and certified therapeutic art life coach. She’s a writer, beekeeper, wannabe gardener, soon-to-be certified diver and will be a private pilot. Lastly, she’s an entrepreneur. You can send feedback to donnahblas@gmail.com/. Happy Birthday, Andria.
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