Coladarci and Ehlers Arts Scholarships

Each year, Morris Arts offers the Eugenie Coladarci ($1,500) and Elaine Ehlers ($5,000) Arts Scholarships to recognize graduating high school seniors who have exhibited artistic excellence in dance, drama, visual arts, or music.

This year’s applications will open on Friday, December 5, 2025 and are due Friday, March 13, 2026.

Eugenie Coladarci Arts Scholarship

The Eugenie Coladarci Arts Scholarship was first awarded in 1999 in memory of Eugenie R. Coladarci, who was Vice President of Marketing and Public Relations at Chase Manhattan Bank and an active member of Morris Arts for 11 years. She was completing her first term as Board Chair when she passed away in 1997. As a statewide champion of the arts, Genie encouraged the development of young artists and believed in the value of the arts to the quality of life. The idea of a scholarship to assist talented young people wishing to continue their study in the arts was very important to her.

Elaine Ehlers Arts Scholarship

The Elaine Ehlers Arts Scholarship was established in 2002 in memory of Elaine Ehlers, a healthcare administrator by profession, who had a voracious appetite for all things artistic and musical. She derived intellectual and emotional sustenance from the arts and supported programs at many museums and musical institutions. By establishing this scholarship, an enduring legacy has been created to reward those who possess artistic talent and who plan to further their arts education.

How To Apply

Completing an application automatically qualifies students for consideration for either scholarship. Applications will open on Friday, December 5, 2025 and are due Friday, March 13, 2026.

To apply, students are required to submit artistic work samples, two brief essays, a list of artistic activities and/or special awards and recognitions within an online application form which will be linked on this webpage. Two letters of recommendation are to be submitted separately via email to Cyndall Brice at cbrice@morrisarts.org.

Please carefully read the application checklist and eligibility and evaluation criteria below before beginning your application.

Application Checklist

1. Complete and submit online application including a .pdf or .doc file containing essay responses and links to properly labeled work samples by Friday, March 13, 2026.

2. Have two teachers submit letters of recommendations via email to Cyndall Brice at cbrice@morrisarts.org by Friday, March 13, 2026.

3. Optional step: We do allow applicants to share any additional information (ex. awards, honors, college acceptances) that occurs after they have submitted their application, but before the panel meets to make its final decision (every year’s deadline varies). To share additional information, please email Cyndall Brice at cbrice@morrisarts.org with “Scholarships” as the subject line by Friday, March 27, 2026.

Eligibility and Evaluation

To be eligible for scholarship opportunities, applicants must:

• Be high school seniors attending public, private, or parochial school in New Jersey
• Be Morris County residents
• Have plans to pursue post-secondary studies at an accredited institution or acknowledged arts school or fine arts program
• Have demonstrated artistic excellence

Children of Morris Arts trustees, staff, and panelists are NOT eligible.

Applicants are judged by a panel of professionals with a high level of expertise in college arts education and/or professional experience. Each artistic discipline is represented on the panel.

Selection of scholarship winners is based on artistic excellence as demonstrated by the quality of the work samples and application submitted to the panel. Dedication and character is also considered. Each scholarship is paid directly to the student’s selected college/arts program to assist with tuition.