Santa Barbara, CA — The Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara honored 20 student artists during a reception at Art & Soul Gallery in Santa Barbara on Tuesday, March 3. As winners of the Foundation’s 2026 Art Scholarship Competition, each will receive a college scholarship.
“We have been recognizing student artists from South County high schools through this program for 47 years now, and the winning submissions never fail to impress,” said Melinda Cabrera, president and CEO of the Scholarship Foundation. “Given the level of talent on display this year, it is quite clear that students are receiving superior art instruction in area schools. We are grateful to Art & Soul Gallery for hosting our 2026 art scholarship reception and for beautifully exhibiting the students’ work. We congratulate this year’s winning artists and are proud to provide them with opportunities to continue their studies.”
Each year, the Scholarship Foundation invites high school seniors in Southern Santa Barbara County to submit a portfolio of original work for its art scholarship competition. A panel of prominent local artists judges the submissions. Judging for the 2026 competition took place January 22 at Community Friends of Santa Barbara. Fifty-four student artists competed. Each winner will receive a scholarship in the amount of $3,000 or $3,500; the best of show winner will receive an additional $1,000 scholarship. Serving as judges this year were Isaac Hernandez, Sara Hetyonk Duron, and Meagan Stirling.
Scarlett Ramirez, who attends Santa Barbara High School, was awarded the Schall Family Best of Show Prize. The other 2026 art scholarship winners are Ruby Bargiel (Alta Vista Alternative High School), Zoe Barnett (Carpinteria High School), Georgia Brown (Santa Barbara High School), Sasha Dozier (Dos Pueblos High School), Lauren Foong (Dos Pueblos High School), Ramiro Gutierrez Carachure (San Marcos High School), April Harper (Dos Pueblos High School), Ava Hough (Santa Barbara High School), Duncan Hunt (San Marcos High School), Silbur Irwin (Dos Pueblos High School), Kiana Kiah (Carpinteria High School), Presley Krintzman (Santa Barbara High School), Christopher Lopez (Santa Barbara High School), Kaitlyn Marden (Dos Pueblos High School), Zenia Potter (Dos Pueblos High School), Ellie Roberts (Carpinteria High School), Amelia Simon (Dos Pueblos High School), Asher Widroe (Dos Pueblos High School), and Luna Witherell (Santa Barbara High School).
The Scholarship Foundation held a separate art competition for seniors at Santa Ynez Valley Union High School on January 29, and hosted a reception for the winning students at Fess Parker Winery in Los Olivos on February 12.
The Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara is the nation’s largest community-based provider of college scholarships, having cumulatively awarded in excess of $167 million to some 64,000 county students since its founding in 1962. A nonprofit organization, the Scholarship Foundation also provides free financial aid advising services. For more information, visit www.sbscholarship.org.
