Amy Phelps Art Scholarship
The Amy Phelps Art Scholarship was established in the name of Amy Ruth Phelps, a native of Southampton County and a graduate of Southampton High School. Amy attended Longwood College and earned her art degree in 2000. She then worked as a graphic designer for Mark-Trece Inc in Richmond. Amy died tragically in an auto accident the day after her 23rd birthday on June 12, 2002. Her beautiful smile and warm, loving ways are missed by all who knew her.
It is with excitement and gratitude that the Suffolk Foundation has been asked to manage this worthwhile scholarship. It gives the Foundation and the Phelps family much pleasure to assist a local student to follow in Amy’s footsteps and fulfill their dreams.
The scholarship is available to graduating high schools seniors from Western Tidewater who are pursuing a major in art or design, and it is paid directly to the college or university on the winner’s behalf.
Scholarship Criteria
To be considered for this scholarship, the applicant must:
- Be a resident of the City of Franklin, Southampton County, Sussex County, Surry County, or Isle of Wight County.
- Be a graduating senior from a public or private high school or accredited home school program.
- Plan to enroll full-time in college in the fall.
- Plan to major in a field of visual art or design in college. Examples of acceptable majors include: painting, drawing, graphic design, photography, film, fashion design, sculpture, ceramics.
- Have a cumulative weighted GPA of 3.0 or higher.
- Provide two letters of recommendations, including one from an art teacher.
- Provide at least two (and up to three) original artwork samples with the application. The samples should be digital images (e.g., photographs of the student’s artwork).
Application, Deadline, and Submission Instructions
The Amy Phelps Art Scholarship utilizes the Suffolk Foundation’s common scholarship application form, which opens online in February 2026. The application must be submitted online before the deadline of 11:59 pm [date to be determined]. For more information, contact the Foundation staff at office@suffolkfoundation.
Awardees
2024: Lailah Collins, Smithfield High School
2023: Elizabeth Defluri, Smithfield High School
2022: Sophia Verhaeghe, Smithfield High School
2021: Jenna Spain, Isle of Wight Academy
2018: Emma Parker, Southampton Academy
2017: Grayson Ippolito, Smithfield High School
2016: Nicole Vasilauskis, Smithfield High School
2015: Tanisha Parson, Surry High School