Chesley Ledesma, a member of Solanco High School's Class of 2020, has been awarded the Donald R. Caldwell Scholarship for four years to attend the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in Philadelphia. This full-tuition scholarship has been awarded to Ledesma based on the excellence of her portfolio of work.
In addition to the scholarship, the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts awarded Ledesma the Mid-Atlantic Fellowship Grant. The combined scholarship and grant awards provide Ledesma with a total of nearly $200,000 to attend the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts for four years beginning in August. Additionally, Ledesma plans to enroll in the dual Bachelor of Fine Arts program at the University of Pennsylvania and Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts.
Ledesma was also awarded the Red Raven $1,000 Senior Art Portfolio Scholarship. This emerging artist scholarship is awarded annually by The Red Raven Art Company and the C.X. Carlson Cultural Trust in Lancaster. According to Solanco art teacher Candace Rakers, Ledesma's artwork will be featured in her Emerging Artist exhibit during the month of August at the Red Raven Art Company, 138 N. Prince St., Lancaster.
Ledesma has a long list of awards for her outstanding work in the visual arts. In the 2019 and 2020 Scholastic Art Awards and Young Artists Awards competitions, Ledesma's work received the American Visions Nominee Award, which is given to the top five works in the exhibition. Ledesma was additionally awarded numerous Special Awards, two Gold Portfolio Awards, and a significant number of Gold, Silver, and Honorable Mention awards. Ledesma's work in the visual arts has been on exhibition at the Lancaster Museum of Art, the Demuth Museum, Millersville University, and the Oxford Arts Alliance.
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