Scholarships will offer funding, space, and mentors to emerging artists

By Sangmin Song

Arts Collaborative Medford (ACM) will soon award a second round of scholarships that provide free studio space, mentorship, and a stipend to emerging artists.

Now in its second year, the program – which honors the legacy of local artist Louise Musto-Choate – supports artists who might not otherwise have access to affordable work spaces.

Each year, two scholarship recipients receive a 60-square-foot studio for 12 months with 24/7 access to the building, a $350 materials stipend, and mentorship tailored to their goals. They also join ACM’s artist community, which includes potlucks, networking events, and collaboration with other local creators.

“We’re welcoming artists into an accessible space, we’re creating a more welcoming, friendly culture citywide,” ACM Executive Director Regina Parkinson said. “That’s really important right now as we continue to grow in the city… We’re really trying to foster that as much as we can in our space, and this is just one of the many ways that we do that.”

ACM has received several applications for this year’s scholarship, for which the deadline closed Thursday, Parkinson said. The scholarship is funded largely by private donations.

“It’s a barrier for people to come in on their first studio [knowing] that they have to spend money and worry about how they’re going to make it back,” she said. “But taking yourself seriously by having a specific space, it makes you feel more professional [and] it makes you handle your work more seriously.”

The Louise Musto-Choate Scholarship reflects the AMC’s mission to make Medford a hub for creativity while addressing inequities in access to artistic opportunities. Musto-Choate helped lay the groundwork for the center before her death in 2020.

“Louise was a very effusive artist [who] always wanted to help other people, and was always trying new things,” Parkinson said. “It really honors her name to be giving away space and helping artists under her scholarship.”

For last year’s recipient, Emily Kwong, the impact was immediate. Before the scholarship, her practice of art in acrylic paints and watercolors often took place in the corner of the small apartment she shared with her boyfriend and their cats. Space was tight, and the chaos of everyday life sometimes spilled onto her canvases.

“God forbid my cat steps on something, and then he gets paint everywhere, so there [were] a lot of hurdles,” Kwong said. “I can’t really dedicate more than a small corner for myself to make work, rather than actually have a large enough space to breathe.”

Beyond the physical space, Kwong said, the scholarship changed how she approaches her work. With a dedicated studio to return to, she could step away from unfinished pieces and come back with a fresh eye.

“I actually get to step away from it now, and when I come back to it I’m like, ‘Oh, I don’t actually like that [and ] I actually want to change that,’” she said. “It’s actually giving me time to problem solve.”

Kwong said she had struggled to find her place in other art circles after college, where her style and practice didn’t always fit in. At ACM, she said, the environment felt different, supportive and open.

“When I graduated college, I found it really difficult to get my footing anywhere outside the dedicated space I had in college,” she said. “There wasn’t a huge opportunity for me to grow… but here it feels like a very positive environment.”

The experience has encouraged Kwong to apply for a second year in the program. She also hopes other communities take notice.

“This is a really good step in the right direction, and I really hope other art communities start doing this work,” she said. “I feel supporting younger artists right now [is] such a big thing, where they should be giving more opportunities to other people in the community.”

As ACM prepares to select its next scholars, Parkinson said, the organization remains committed to honoring Musto-Choate’s legacy and building a strong arts community in Medford.

“We’re here and we have very specific opportunities, but we’re also a young and new organization that welcomes the voices of our community,” Parkinson said. “If there are things that people want to see or need, I want to hear about that. We’re also looking for support at any time, for people that feel moved by what we’re doing.”

For Kwong, the message to future applicants is simple.

“You really just have to have that confidence to be, ‘If I apply to it, the worst-case scenario is [just] a no,’” she said. “A big part of life, honestly, is just being able to [put] yourself out there. Life is all about those risks, and you really need to just stick [to] yourself.”

More information about the LMC Scholarship can be found here.

Sangmin Song is a senior journalism student. This story is part of a partnership between Gotta Know Medford and the Boston University Department of Journalism.