Talent Awards

Talent awards are available to students who choose a major in the Visual and Performing Arts or in any of our English majors (English, creative writing,English with teacher licensure). Also, students who minor in dance or participate in any of the auditioned ensembles can qualify for a talent award. Talent award consideration in these programs require an audition, portfolio review or interview.

Talent awards are coordinated with other University grants and scholarships. Contact the Office of Admissions for more information.

Art and Design Awards

Students applying to the art and design program are encouraged to submit a portfolio containing 8 to 10 pieces. Portfolios are considered for the Talent Award scholarship. The portfolio should represent the variety of skills you have developed thus far. It also should showcase your imagination and conceptual abilities. It is important to demonstrate that you have experience drawing from direct observation, so your portfolio should include drawings of objects or places in front of you rather than copied from photographs or the work of other artists.

Your admissions portfolio is only evaluated for scholarship consideration during the admission process.

On campus: Students can schedule a campus visit or a special appointment by contacting the department of A&D (art@onu.edu or 419-772-2160). The portfolio review committee can meet with students to evaluate portfolios Monday through Friday, 8 a.m.–4 p.m. and most Saturdays, 8 a.m.–noon.

By mail: Students can submit work in digital or slide format. Students should include an inventory sheet with their files/slides noting the size, medium or media, and completion date of each piece of work. Work in a digital format must not require installation of software on a department computer. Portfolios should be sent to the Department of Art & Design, Ohio Northern University, 525 S. Main Street, Ada, Ohio 45810.

By web site: Another option allows students to submit portfolios by emailing the url for their Web site to art@onu.edu.
We recommend that you complete a few assignments and projects. The goal is to help you assess your potential and give you time to complete a few projects on your own. Some assignments take more time than others. This varies from person to person, but the entire process should not take an enormous amount of time. Below are a few ideas to get you started:

1) Create three to four observational line drawings (no gray tones/values) of an actual handheld object that you choose. You may use any fine-line drawing medium such as a graphite pencil, pen, etc.

2) Create two or three observational drawings of an object in two-dimensional using a pencil to create gray tones/values.

3) Create one observational drawing of a still life of objects of your choice using any media.

4) Photo documentation and expression: Using a camera, create a series of images that expresses one of the following themes: reflection, transportation, identity.

5) Design project: Design a two-dimensional face of an analog (non digital) clock. Any drawing medium may be used.
What kind of work do I need in my portfolio?
Drawing is the most important aspect of a freshman applicant's portfolio. We encourage you to include work done from actual observation (life drawing). Although accepted, we discourage work copied from two-dimensional sources such as photographs. We also discourage applicants from focusing their portfolios on a single field of study, such as graphic design, sculpture or painting.

What is more important: technical skill or creativity?
Do not overlook the creative aspect of your work. Some students mistakenly include value scales/color wheels in their portfolios. Such pieces only indicate that an instructor or textbook has provided students with the basic information about value/color. It is more important to be able to show that you can apply such information in a personal and purposeful way.

How many different media should I show in my portfolio?
Pick three or four media with which you are comfortable. Make sure at least one is a color medium. Only present work that stands on its own merit. Work should show that you had enough control over your materials to begin dealing with creative issues, rather than showing successful technical methods.

What kind of subjects should I draw?
Find a subject that excites you. Interpret the same subject matter more than once. Imagine: How do you draw a sound? How do you draw a smell? Your drawings will become more interesting as you explore your subject from different perspectives above and beyond the first, immediate choices. Become comfortable with manipulating color, composition, texture, value and line to convey your ideas.

Can I show work in progress? Can I include my sketchbooks for consideration?
Your work need not be mounted, matted, framed or even finished. We encourage you to show us your sketchbooks because these documents allow us to gain a better understanding of the process in which you work. In most cases, sketchbooks are an outlet for experimentation, and we are very interested in seeing that side of you.

How old can the work in my portfolio be?
We recommend that you limit your portfolio to work that you have created within the past two years. This is the best indicator as to where you've come from and where you're headed.

English Awards

High school seniors who have been accepted to Ohio Northern University as English majors in the Getty College of Arts & Sciences are invited to compete for talent awards beginning at $4,000, renewable annually as long as the student remains an English major and maintains a grade point average of 3.0 (B). The talent awards will be available to students regardless of what English major track they intend to pursue: creative writing, literature, language arts education, or writing and multimedia studies.

Following admission to the University, students must submit a digital portfolio of original writing by Dec. 15. This collection should contain at least three, and no more than five, writing samples (not to exceed 20 pages of written work) that will be judged by English faculty. ONU English will then make recommendations to the Office of Financial Aid; their staff will make all final decisions regarding this award.

Portfolio items may include essays or research papers written for English classes, articles written for the school or other newspapers, and/or original creative writing (poetry, fiction, nonfiction, drama or screenplays). We encourage students to submit a variety of material. A brief letter from a sponsoring English teacher must accompany the portfolio, attesting that the writing is the student’s own work.

Applicants should submit their digital portfolio as a PDF or a Word document, and submissions should be typed in a standard, consistent font. Those submitting should not include any art objects or purely visual arts material, although hybrid text/visual entries are accepted, as well as short audio or video presentations.
Send digital portfolios on or before Dec. 15 to Dr. Doug Dowland at d-dowland@onu.edu, email subject line “English Talent Award submission.”

Hard copy submissions are also welcome and may be sent to the below address:

English Talent Awards

c/o Dr. Doug Dowland

Ohio Northern University

525 S. Main St.

Ada, OH 45810

Materials will not be returned.

Music Awards

Music majors and non-music majors alike can apply for Talent Awards. Auditions are required for most positions.

Audition Information

Non-music major talent awards are available for the Symphony Orchestra, University Singers, and Chamber Winds. The deadline to apply to audition for non-major talent awards is Feb. 1. You must upload an audition at Get Acceptd by March 1 for consideration for a non-music-major talent award.

Musicians who sing/play the following instruments are eligible: voice, violin, viola, cello, double bass, flute/piccolo, clarinet/bass clarinet, oboe/English horn, bassoon, saxophone, horn, trumpet, trombone, tuba, timpani, percussion, piano and harp.

Non-music-major talent awards are available to all enrolled students regardless of major. Awards are granted based on the student’s artistic potential as heard during an audition and may be based on financial need. Talent award amounts are contingent on the complete financial aid package. Talent awards are renewable each year as long as the student is in good academic standing and meets the requirements of the talent award.

To apply for this non-music major Talent Award, CLICK HERE
Participation grants are available for Marching Band/Symphonic Band without audition. The deadline to apply is Feb. 1. (Note: Marching Band recipients must enroll in Symphonic Band in the spring semester.)

To apply for this non-music major Talent Award, CLICK HERE

Theatre Awards

MUSICAL THEATRE MAJORS
Auditions are required for admission and talent award eligibility. Talent awards are coordinated with other University grants and scholarships and begin at $2,000 per year. Your audition must be completed during the admission process. Auditions for talent awards need to take place before March 1.

INTERNATIONAL THEATRE PRODUCTION MAJORS
An interview and portfolio review is required for admission and talent award eligibility. Talent awards are coordinated with other University grants and scholarships and begin at $2,000 per year. Your interview and portfolio review must be completed during the admission process by March 1.

Contact Professor Kathe Devault (k-devault@onu.edu) to schedule your interview.

THEATRE MAJORS
Talent awards are available for students who major in theatre. To be considered, an audition and/or interview is required. For more information regarding award deadlines and requirements, please contact Professor Joan Robbins (j-robbins@onu.edu).

DANCE MINORS
Talent awards are available for students who minor in dance. To be considered, an audition and/or interview is required. For more information regarding award deadlines and requirements, please contact Professor Elizabeth Cozad (e-cozad@onu.edu).