Scholarship Brief

Luke Gabriel Meraz was a unique artist who explored his vision through environments, repurposed assemblage art, character designs, illustrations, graphics and recycled fashion. Luke was in the midst of creating fascinating and intriguing alternate worlds and environments. AXEL, the main protagonist and Luke’s alter ego, a neo-cybernetic rebel appeared in many iterations of his graphic novel, and lives on through his legacy of work.

In the spirit of AXEL, this Scholarship celebrates and supports the self-proclaimed: rebel, out of the box thinker, the misfit, the freak, the underdog, the uniquely multi-disciplinary designer that has no boundaries or edges, and feels limited by thriving in just one discipline.

Application Process

Portfolio:

Submit a selection of three projects that illustrate your unique “out of the box” vision, through multi- disciplinary approaches and executions of your ArtCenter projects.

Essay:

You must submit a one page essay, using any combination of the following questions as a guide (or write something completely out of the box, a poem, a song, be inspired, be creative!)

  1. What does being an “out of the box” or “against the grain” designer/artist mean to you? Describe your biggest challenge as a multi-disciplinary designer/artist?

  2. Discuss a special and unique attribute or accomplishment that sets you apart from your peers. How has your family or community background affected the way you see the world?

  3. Why should you be an “AXEL LIVES” scholarship recipient?

Who Can Apply ?

ArtCenter College of Design Grad & Undergraduate Students in your first term through seventh term. from the following departments:

  • Spatial Experience Design

  • Product Design

  • Entertainment Design

  • Graphic Design

  • Illustration Design

APPLICATION CRITERIA

Applications will be judged by the following criteria:

  • Scholarship prizes shall be open to currently enrolled undergraduate ArtCenter students.

  • Students who have filed for an official Leave of Absence are also eligible to apply.

  • Applicants shall demonstrate excellence in art and/or design coursework with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or more and in good disciplinary standing.

APPLICATION SCHEDULE:

  • July 20 Student applications available

  • August 31 Deadline for student applications

  • Fall Term Student winners selected and informed of their award (awards distributed at a luncheon event)

SELECTION COMMITTEE:

  • The Selection Committee shall consist of three to five members and may include the following:
    Faculty members from: Spatial Experience Design, Entertainment Design, Graphic Design, Illustration Design

  • Representative of the Meraz family

  • Designer/Artist/Alumni of note (that exemplifies the spirit of Luke Gabriel Meraz Memorial Scholarship as stated in the Brief)

PROMOTION AND CELEBRATION

Prize winners are asked to cooperate with the College in recognizing their award and their work, which may include exhibition in the Student Gallery, on the ArtCenter website, and in publications.

APPLICATION PROCESS

Your Application packet will consist of:

  • Item 1: Completed Application Form [compatible Word Doc or pdf]

  • Item 2: Essay (or alternative) as per application process stated above.

  • Item 3: Grade sheet as required by Criteria 1: Scholarship [scan]

  • Item 4: Letter of Support from a faculty member, department chair or staff [compatible Word Doc or pdf]

  • Item 5: Slide presentation [saved as a pdf] consisting of no more than 15 slides;

    Deadline: By 5:00 PM [Pacific Standard time] , MIDNIGHT August 31st
    Email your full Application packet to: info@axellives.com
    Should you have any questions about the Luke Gabriel Meraz Memorial Prize, please contact:

    info@axellives.com or 213.709.0534

DOWNLOAD APPLICATION PDF