Scott Kelly '87 Graduate Student Fund

2024 Scott Kelly Fund recipient Karina Denisse Beltran Vargas '24 (Illustration Practice MFA)

"I'm very thankful for the Scott Kelly Fund, which helped cover the materials costs for my thesis and grad show project. I've been exploring traditional media since I entered MICA. Buying everything that this requires, such as watercolor paper, brushes, gouache, and watercolor, has been difficult because it was a cost I wasn't expecting to make before. Also, for my show, I wanted to create an installation with paper flowers to reinforce the idea of a garden related to my theme. Color paper is also an expensive material, and it exceeded my budget. With the Scott Kelly Fund, I could complete this project how I planned it, helping me create an exhibition that fit my thesis concept and also continue my professional exploration."

Scott Kelly ran the Office of Graduate Admission for 15 years, overseeing an enormous growth in programming and enrollment. Throughout all this growth, Scott never lost his personal touch and investment in individual students. Scott would give you a lift to the airport, bring you a spare blanket, visit your studio just to say “hi,” take you out to lunch if you were down, and attend every single opening, on or off campus.

Scott loved MICA and wanted every graduate student to love MICA, too. He would go out of his way to make sure he was supporting every student as much as possible. After Scott passed in 2014, MICA created the Scott Kelly ‘87 Graduate Student Fund to carry on his legacy of service and support.

The Scott Kelly '87 Graduate Student Fund provides angel funding for MICA graduate students who have hit tough times or financial problems, just like Scott would have done when he was here at MICA.

Scott was enthusiastic, generous, and compassionate – values that shaped MICA’s graduate community. Help us memorialize Scott by donating and doing what he loved more than anything else – supporting MICA’s amazing graduate students!