Students of the Edna Manley College for the Visual and Performing Arts have an opportunity to receive tuition assistance through a Scholarship programme spearheaded by the Cecil Cooper Foundation.

The programme was launched on June 17 concurrently with the inaugural Cecil Cooper Scholarship Exhibition, which is slated to run until July 16.

The exhibition features never-before-seen works by the late artist, as well as pieces by this year’s three scholarship recipients, the first cohort of beneficiaries.

It aims to honour the life and work of one of Jamaica’s prominent artistic talents and to nurture the talent of the next generation of Jamaican artists.

Select students will benefit from several scholarships and bursaries to be made available through the programme.

Speaking with JIS News at the exhibition on July 2, at the Olympia Gallery, Old Hope Road, St. Andrew, widow of the late artist, Rose Bennett-Cooper said the scholarship programme is seeking to fill a need to nurture talented young students.

“The intention of the Foundation is to establish a Trust Fund that will, as we go forward… provide scholarships and bursaries for students every year,” she explained.

The students selected as this year’s recipients are in their final year in the painting department of the Edna Manley College.

A series of events have been planned for the exhibition.

The July 2 event featured the Jamaica launch of the book, ‘The Black and White Museum’, by Jamaican-born writer, journalist and broadcaster, Ferdinand Dennis.

On July 9 there will be a ‘Paint and Sip’ event, while the exhibition’s closing cocktail and awards ceremony will be held on July 16.

There will be an international online silent auction of Cecil Cooper’s painting, ‘Arabesque’ on canvas.

The series is to be concluded with the National Dance Theatre Company (NDTC) gala and benefit performance, to be staged on July 29 at the Little Theatre, in Kingston.