Scholarships

2023 Scholarship applications will be available in January.

Touchstone scholarships provide opportunities for many deserving individuals of all skill levels, ages, and backgrounds to attend workshops each year. While financial need is often a factor in allocating these funds, Touchstone is also dedicated to ensuring that artistic merit and intensity of interest are seriously considered. Incomplete application packages will NOT be reviewed. Scholarship applicants will be notified via email of their award or denial. If applicable, you may apply for multiple scholarships with one complete application. Scholarships are only valid for the year in which they are awarded; individuals who are unable to attend their awarded workshop will forfeit their scholarship.

Questions: contact Travis Winters, programs manager, at 724-329-1370 or twinters@touchstonecrafts.org.

Opportunities for Veterans and members of Associated Artists of Pittsburgh:

Agnes & James Kinard Family Scholarship

Provides 100% tuition support for any adult-level workshop to veterans, caregivers, and immediate adult family members of veterans and/or members of the Associated Artists of Pittsburgh. Additional funds may be awarded to offset the cost of housing, meals, travel, and materials fees on a case-by-case basis. Priority will be given to individuals seeking to participate in the Frontline Paper workshop for Veterans.

Veterans, caregivers, and adult family members and/or members of Associated Artists of Pittsburgh can participate. Veterans/AAP scholarship applications are still being accepted for any of our weekend or weeklong workshops.

VETERANS: Click to download the Veterans Scholarship Application

AAP MEMBERS: Click to download the Touchstone Scholarship Application

Learn More…

“During World War II, Agnes Dodds was one of the few female executives in the war effort while she served at the Lend Lease Administration in Washington, D.C. She met her first husband (Morton Frank), a Naval Officer, during the war. Her brother (Robert J. Dodds Jr.) and her second husband (James P. Kinard) also served as U.S. Army Officers.

Throughout her life, Agnes Dodds Kinard keenly championed efforts to help veterans, especially by enriching their skills and knowledge of arts and crafts. Her three children are thrilled that through her generosity, Touchstone, which she helped found more than three decades ago, will be able to pursue her vision of enabling veterans to receive artistic training they so richly deserve. She wanted Touchstone to offer veterans a sanctuary to enjoy nature and the outdoors as well as the opportunity to learn a new hobby, craft or skill.”

Special Opportunities:

Architecture and the Integrity of Craft Scholarship

This scholarship provides up to $1,200 towards any adult-level workshop’s tuition, room, and board. Recipients must reside on campus and take part in the full meal plan during their workshop. Eligible candidates include any student who has completed at least 2 years in an NCARB accredited architectural program or a recent graduate of an NCARB accredited program who is 30yrs old or younger. Submission of a Resume/Bio including awards, recognitions, and certifications is required to be considered for this award.

Click here to download the Architecture and Integrity of Craft Scholarship Application

Learn More…
Eligibility
- Eligible candidates include any student who has completed at least 2 years in an NCARB accredited architectural program, or a recent graduate of an NCARB accredited program who is 30 years old or younger.
- To fully participate in the Touchstone experience, the scholarship recipient is required to stay on campus and participate in the full-service meal plan.
Purpose
- The purpose of the scholarship is to introduce architectural students or recent architectural graduates to the important role craft plays in the built environment. By participating in a class of their choice at Touchstone, they will be further exposed to one aspect of the craft tradition and can develop a further understanding of the craft. In the process, they will gain a better understanding of the relationship of craft to the architectural design and building practice. While at Touchstone, they will also witness a number of other crafts being explored and will be introduced informally to how those crafts may relate to the same.

Educators’ Retreat Scholarship

This scholarship provides 50%-100% tuition for any Educators’ Retreat workshop. K-12 educators and those studying to be educators are eligible.

Click here to download the Educators' Retreat Scholarship Application

Touchstone Scholarships:

Touchstone offers four additional scholarships that may all be applied for with a single application.

Click here to download the Touchstone Scholarship Application

Inclusion Scholarship

Touchstone is committed to diversity, inclusion and advocating for social justice within the craft community. We are dedicated to providing opportunities for underrepresented populations by devoting a portion of our scholarships to individuals who identify as Black or African American, Hispanic, Latino, American Indian, Native American, Middle Eastern, Asian, Pacific Islander, and/or person of color.

General Scholarship

This scholarship provides 50% – 100% tuition for any adult-level workshop.

Susan M. Brimo-Cox Memorial Scholarship

This scholarship provides up to $500 towards any adult-level workshop’s tuition, room, and board. Preference is given to veterans and their immediate family members.

Learn More…

In November 2013, Touchstone lost one of its most enthusiastic and dynamic advocates, Susan M. Brimo-Cox. Susan’s relationship with Touchstone took many interesting and meaningful forms. She served on Touchstone’s board of directors, taught several glassmaking workshops on campus, and was a student in many, many more. Susan will be remembered as a skilled and versatile artisan who enjoyed combining her talents in glass, enameling, gardening, printmaking, photography, metalsmithing, and fiber arts. Susan’s loved ones have created a memorial scholarship fund in her name so that her legacy of support for the regional arts and cultural community may endure. This scholarship will help more aspiring makers enjoy the transformative impact of a creative experience at Touchstone. The scholarship is generally available to everyone, but preference will be given to spouses of active or former military personnel. The scholarship covers tuition and room and/or board for any workshop up to $500.

The Thaddeus Mosley Scholarship

This scholarship provides 100% tuition for any adult-level sculpture-based workshop. Additional funds may be awarded to offset the cost of housing, meals, travel and materials fees on a case-by-case basis. This scholarship was established in honor of lifelong Touchstone instructor and friend, Thaddeus Mosley.

Learn More…

The Thaddeus Mosley Scholarship is an annual scholarship offered to a student, emerging artist, or professional craftsperson or artist to attend a sculpture-based workshop at Touchstone Center for Crafts. Thad is a renowned self-taught woodcarver with sculptures in museums and private collections in Pittsburgh and around the world. He has been a dear friend of Touchstone for many decades and taught workshops on the campus for almost 30 years. At Touchstone, hundreds of students have benefitted from Thad’s teaching, inspiration, and mentorship. Thad continues to carve wood into sculpture every day in his Pittsburgh studio and we are proud to have him as part of the Touchstone community. His excellence in teaching and his artistry in the ongoing evolution of new and traditional woodcarving traditions, has influenced Touchstone’s students in all genres and has helped the volunteer board of directors to fulfill its mission. In recognition of his artistic excellence in interpreting and expanding traditional craft, teaching future generations of artists the beauty of creating sculpture, and his numerous contributions to Touchstone, members of the board of directors have initiated the Thaddeus Mosley Scholarship in his honor. The scholarship will cover full workshop tuition (a week-long or weekend workshop), lodging, meals, workshop material fees, and up to $100.00 in travel expenses.

Teen Week Scholarships:

Ages 14-17
100% Tuition, Room, & Board: Touchstone works with schools to provide students with these scholarships. Individual teens are welcome to apply directly through Touchstone and will also be considered.

Click here to download the Teen Week Scholarship Application

**ALL TEENS INTERESTED IN PARTICIPATING IN TEEN WEEK MUST FILL OUT AN APPLICATION REGARDLESS OF WHETHER YOU ARE SEEKING A SCHOLARSHIP.

Fayette County Resident Discount

25% Reduced Tuition: Full-time residents of Fayette County in Pennsylvania are offered 25% reduced tuition for any adult workshop. Regular room and board fees apply. Please call our office at 724-329-1370 to receive a discount code (discount can not be applied to special firings, teen week, youth programming, date nights, and symposiums).

2022 Scholarship Applications will be available January 1st and due March 15th. *Applications for Teen Week due May 1st. Applications for the Frontline Paper Program will be accepted until all spaces are full.

Questions: contact Travis Winters, programs manager, at 724-329-1370 or twinters@touchstonecrafts.org.

Touchstone Center for Crafts prohibits discrimination in employment, scholarship and educational programs, and activities on the basis of race, national origin, color, creed, religion, sex, age, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or associational preference. Touchstone Center for Crafts also affirms its commitment to providing equal opportunities and equal access to its facilities and programming.

(724) 329-1370