The Olive Hyde Art Guild (OHAG) scholarship program promotes appreciation for art and fosters development of artistic talent. It offers financial assistance to residents of Fremont in high school and Ohlone College students dedicated to pursuing higher education in art-related fields.
The eligible majors for 2026 include drawing and illustration, painting, sculpture, ceramics, printmaking, architecture, animation, photography, film and video arts, graphic design, installation art, web design and user interface/user experience.
The 2026 scholarship awards were presented on Friday, May 15, at a reception in the Olive Hyde gallery courtyard. Twenty Fremont high school seniors and Ohlone College students applied. The seven finalists displayed their work at the reception.
The two jurors were artists Lisa Stambaugh and Durba Sen. Stambaugh is a longtime resident of Fremont and OHAG member. Her art focuses on fiber arts, including quilting and hyperbolic crochet, along with digital art. Her work has been in multiple Olive Hyde exhibits, and she is also involved in local public art initiatives, including leading the assembly of the recent city-wide Yarnbombing project.
Sen is a contemporary abstract artist based in the Bay Area. Her paintings are greatly influenced by the color and fragrance of spices, blooming flowers and the art and architecture of India, where she was born. Sen has been teaching art from her studio for over 15 years.
At the reception, one of the Outstanding Artistic Talent $2,000 scholarships was presented to Hope Chon from Irvington High School. Additionally, her teacher Summer Jones received a $500 award for classroom art supplies. Chon will pursue a degree in design from Carnegie Mellon University.
“My art allows me to express emotions I can’t describe with words, translating into a visual language others can understand,” said Chon, “Drawing turns my vulnerability and hurt into something beautiful others can relate to.”
The other Outstanding Artistic Talent $2,000 scholarship was awarded to Neelu Bhandari from Ohlone College. “Art has always been my lifelong passion and most profound form of self-expression,” said Bhandari. “As a self-taught artist, I spent years exploring the vibrant world of acrylic and watercolors. Last fall, I decided to take the leap forward and formally pursue an associate art degree from Ohlone College.”
The other awards were:
The $1,000 Jan Schafir Memorial Scholarship was awarded to Anna Vu, a Fremont resident who attends Moreau Catholic High School. She will attend Cal Poly to study architecture.
The $500 Scholarship for Artistic Excellence was given to Emily Huang from Mission San Jose High School (MSJHS). She will attend the University of Southern California for interactive media/game design.
The $500 Ohlone Artistic Excellence Award was presented to Eunie Kim.
The $250 Dick Blick Artistic Merit Certificates went to Catherine Chen from MSJHS and Alka Sinha from Ohlone College.
Tanaz Sutaria, the chair of the scholarship committee, said, “The guild has been sponsoring art education programs and scholarships for Fremont high school seniors and Ohlone College students for over a decade. One of the biggest fundraising events that sponsors our scholarships is the Holiday for the Arts Show and Sale. This year it will be on October 17 and 18, so mark your calendars.”
