2024 Julienne Hogarth Scholarship Recipient

Congratulations to this year’s Julienne Hogarth Scholarship recipient, Elena Varner Waltz. Elena is a graduate of Miller South School for the Visual and Performing Arts (‘18) and Firestone High School’s Akron School for the Arts (ASA) for Visual Art (‘22). She is currently attending Kent State University where she is majoring in Art History, in hopes to concentrate in curation and preservation. She also has been working in glass making and has chosen it as her minor. “The classes at Miller South were structured in a way that allowed us as students to work with different materials for every project.” Varner Waltz states. “It was this type of curriculum that gave me a love of creating art that made me want to continue with the ASA program when I reached high school as it followed the same kind of structure.” 

The Miller South Art Booster Club created the Hogarth Scholarship in 2022 as a means to specifically support Miller South art students as they journeyed from Miller South to ASA at Firestone, and beyond as they continue to pursue a degree in art. Julie Hogarth was an art teacher at both Miller South and Firestone ASA, as well as other Akron Public Schools. She is currently enjoying retirement and painting in her studio. 

Last year the recipient was Maysun Perez, a fashion student at Kent State University. The Art Boosters want to recognize the strong foundations and passion for art that is created at such a young age at Miller South, and how that passion can continue into a future career in art. 

Varner Waltz will use her scholarship to travel abroad to Florence this summer for a month-long intensive study with Kent State where she will be learning more about glass art. She spoke to Miller South students about her time at Miller and ASA, and how it helped her find her passion for art history. She shared images of her recent glass and sculptural work, and thanked her former art teachers, Mrs. Hogarth, Mrs. Rich, Mrs. Tschantz, Mr. Csejtey, and Mr. Coffield. 

  

Elena Varner Waltz is the 2024 recipient of the Julienne Hogarth Scholarship, presented by the Miller South Art Booster Club.