Amanda Frazier, Liam Giblin and Nathalia Roca have been awarded $2000 each from The Society of Bluffton Artists (SOBA) Naomi McCracken Scholarship. A special reception will be held from 5-7 p.m. July 15 at SOBA Gallery, 6 Church Street in Old Town Bluffton.

The scholarship is presented every year to a deserving public high school graduate who is pursuing a major in the art field at the college level. 

Frazier recently graduated from Bluffton High School, and plans to attend Winthrop University to study Illustration. She would like to become a comic book illustrator and hopes to one day become an artist for Marvel Comics. Frazier was a member of the National Art Honor Society and she created portraits that were gifted to children in Cameroon and Ukraine. 

Giblin will be in his second year at Winthrop University, also studying illustration. A Bluffton High School graduate, Giblin was a recipient of the Naomi McCracken Scholarship last year. Giblin has been involved in a project at a museum in Rock Hill, SC to make a virtual recreation of the museum’s past exhibits, using 3D digital images. In addition to illustration, Giblin has discovered a passion for printmaking and he took part in an art history study abroad program in the Netherlands. 

Another past recipient of the Naomi McCracken Scholarship, Roca has completed two years at Columbia College in Chicago in illustration. Roca uses faith-based themes through her art, drawing on her Venezuelan heritage and Christian worldview to create works that reflect her interpretation of the world around her. 

About The Naomi McCracken Scholarship and The Society of Bluffton Artists:

Naomi McCracken was one of the founding members of SOBA. When Naomi passed away in 2006 her family requested that in lieu of flowers donations should be made to SoBA. In the spring of 2007, her son, Emmitt McCracken, and Dave Dickson, then president of SoBA, established the scholarship program for a graduating senior who planned to further their studies in the field of art. 

SOBA is the heart of the flourishing art hub in Old Town Bluffton’s historic district at the corner of Church and Calhoun streets. As a non-profit art organization, SOBA offers regular art classes, featured artist shows, exhibitions, scholarships, outreach programs and more. The gallery is open from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 11 a.m.-3 p.m. on Sundays. Please visit www.sobagallery.com for a complete calendar of events and other information or call 843-757-6586.