The Emma Mebane Magnificent Machine Award scholarship – shortened to the acronym EMMMA – was awarded for the fourth and final time in Spring 2015. (Note: It was the death of Emma Mebane in 2011 that was the catalyst to the original creation of Starshine Galaxy Foundation, which has been the source of funding for the scholarship.)
The annual award, initiated in Spring 2012, was granted to one graduating senior at Geneva High School, Emma’s alma mater, who was passionate about graphic design and had strong artistic interests & skills. Unlike most scholarships, the prize was not a cash award – instead, the winners each got a budget of $2500 to buy any kind of digital hardware & software that they felt would advance their artistic capabilities. The expectation was that the chosen ‘magnificent machine’ would not otherwise have been available to these young talented artists without the scholarship support. Visit the EMMMA Winners page to see the ‘magnificent machines’ that the four winners (and one honorable mention) put together.
As part of the application process, the EMMMA candidates were required to submit an original work of digitally-influenced art, and each year Emma’s family identified a song that the artists were asked to use as a source of inspiration in their creations. The songs were, in order: Star Star by The Frames (2012), World Spins Madly On by The Weepies (2013), Re: Stacks by Bon Iver (2014), and In the Wind by Lord Huron (2015).
Exceeding all expectations, the winning art was truly inspired. Details of these remarkable pieces are featured on each of the EMMMA Winners pages.