Bob Chavez Scholarship for the Arts Application

Part of IPCC’s mission is to preserve and perpetuate Pueblo culture, and a key element of that is investing in the Pueblo leaders of tomorrow—our youth. In 2018, we established the Bob Chavez Scholarship for the Arts in conjunction with the opening of the rotating exhibit A Promise Fulfilled: The Life and Legacy of Bob Chavez. This scholarship is named in honor of Manuel “Bob” Chavez of Cochiti Pueblo, who dedicated 50 years as a volunteer teaching art at St. Catherine’s Indian School.

Bob’s dedication to students arose from his time spent as a prisoner of war during the Bataan Death March. During a particularly bleak day, Bob made a promise to the Creator that he would devote his life to helping St. Catherine’s students if he survived the harrowing ordeal, a promise he certainly kept.

Many students were able to explore Native arts and feel at home in Mr. Chavez’ classroom, and IPCC is able to continue his legacy of encouragement through the Bob Chavez Scholarship for the Arts Fund, managed by the Albuquerque Community Foundation. Scholarships are provided each year to two recent Pueblo high school seniors or college undergraduates who are pursuing visual arts in higher education.

Recipients of this scholarship are selected based on financial need, an essay addressing their purpose in pursuing the arts, grade point averages, and a portfolio featuring their works of art.

Criteria and Guidelines:

• Applicant must be a high school graduating senior from New Mexico OR a current college student OR returning college student from New Mexico
• Applicant must demonstrate interest in the study of the visual arts or related field (graphic design, photography, architecture, design, cinematic arts, art history, etc.)
• Applicant must be a member of, or affiliated with, a federally recognized Pueblo from the 19 Pueblo communities of New Mexico

• • Pueblo enrollment is not required, but Pueblo affiliation must be verified by a letter of support from a current tribal government official of the Pueblo community.

• Applicants must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher
• Applicant must plan to attend, or is currently attending, a 2-year or 4-year public or private nonprofit college, university, or technical vocational school, part-time or full-time, in state or out of state.

From an early age, Bob Chavez enjoyed painting. In 1933, his mother submitted his artwork to the Indian Art Market. He received first place with the blue ribbon, and a $12 cash prize; he was only 17 years old. Bob’s son, Franco Chavez, recalls trying to set up the art market booth with his dad later in life: “We never had to set up the booth because we would sell the paintings as we were pulling them off the truck.”

Bob’s love for art began with his father, Cipriano Chavez, who painted with watercolors. Bob never took art classes; he learned by watching his father and through constant practice. His paintings show traditional life, including dances from Cochiti Pueblo, the horses his family raised, and members of his community. The giant mural by Bob Chavez that adorns the IPCC courtyard reverently depicts horses in an open setting.

The matching funds for this scholarship are gathered through donations. If you are interested in contributing, please visit our donation page here.

To apply for the Bob Chavez Scholarship for the Arts, please click here.