News from La Quinta Arts Foundation:
La Quinta resident and multi-year La Quinta Arts Foundation (LQAF) Visual Art Scholar, Harley Weir, is set to graduate this spring from Laguna College of Art and Design with a BFA degree with an emphasis in Game Art.
In his studies, Weir has been working to specialize in concept art, texture art, design and game development and hopes to put his talent to work “transporting the player to fantastic new worlds.”
Weir is involved with University of Southern California’s GamePipe Laboratory program http://gamepipe.usc.edu/ on ‘Threshold’ – a virtual reality escape room experience in a computer-generated environment. Weir’s first GamePipe project was ‘Swarm’ in 2015, initially serving as a concept artist but was given more important tasks over time, including the general UI art for the game, the ability icons, and even helping to iterate and design a new character.
“I am extremely grateful for the opportunities La Quinta Arts Foundation has given me, and the faith you have shown in my art,” writes Harley. “This scholarship not only helped me financially in getting enrolled at a private, prestigious school like Laguna College of Art and Design, but it was also an honor to be validated and recognized by the LQAF scholarship committee.”
Local artists, particularly in La Quinta, have been a crucial foundation for his aesthetic outlook. Their landscapes and paintings have truly inspired him to become a better visual artist, and he hopes to continue drawing on their influence to help create the concept work that he does.
As a result of a successful 35th Anniversary La Quinta Arts Festival, LQAF was able to increase scholarships by $8,000, awarding $48,000 to 24 students who will attend college during the 2017/18 academic year. Since its inception in 1984, the La Quinta Arts Foundation has awarded more than $1.278 million in scholarships to over 400 college-bound art students. According to LQAF President and CEO Christi Salamone. “LQAF scholars are doing great things in our community, and – around the world!”
In keeping with LQAF’s mission of “Promoting and Cultivating the Arts,” annual scholarship awards are made possible with proceeds garnered from LQAF public art events including La Quinta Arts Festival (ranked #1 in the nation 2013, 2014, 2015). Scholarship applications are available each year in February. A gallery of this year’s scholarship recipients is on view at LQAF.com.