Special to IFN
Mooresville Arts has awarded its inaugural senior scholarship to Kaitlyn Kittle of Charlotte. She will receive $5,000 to go towards her college tuition.
Four local high school seniors applied for this year’s scholarship opportunity. Students from Catawba, Iredell, Lincoln, Mecklenburg, and Rowan counties were eligible to apply. After the initial application process, the students were then asked to create a self-portrait as the final decision maker for the scholarship award. The scholarship committee overwhelmingly chose Kittle’s self-portrait as their top choice.
Kittle is attending the Savannah College of Design (SCAD) in the fall. She is pursuing painting as her concentration.
“To be given this award is such an honor,” she said. “I worked 35 hours on this piece, adding small details that make me original. I wanted this piece to reflect who I was beyond my outer appearance, including my band posters and the Anemoia I associate with the 70-90s.
“I am excited to transfer to Savannah College of Art and Design this fall, and graduate with a bachelor’s in fine arts. Winning such prestigious awards is such an honor and pushes me forward to becoming a professional painter.”
Mooresville Arts had a very successful fundraising campaign in 2025 in commemoration of its 70th anniversary of the organization’s inception. The funds used for this scholarship opportunity were earmarked from that campaign as part of the organization’s initiatives to give back to the community in 2026.
“Everyone at Mooresville Arts has wanted to pursue a scholarship program for many years,” said Jessica DeHart, executive director of Mooresville Arts. “Thanks to the generosity of our donors, we were able to pay it forward and contribute this very meaningful gift to Kaitlyn so that she may pursue a higher education in the fine arts. Our hope is to continue to raise funds to sustain the senior scholarship program so that we can continue supporting these young artists, who are the future of the arts in our community and society.”