Cypress sophomore Liller receives SFA's Robert Kinsell Art Scholarship

Cypress sophomore Katherine Liller has been selected as this year's recipient of the Robert Kinsell Art Scholarship awarded by the SFA Friends of the Visual Arts.

NACOGDOCHES, Texas - Katherine Liller has been selected as this year's recipient of the Robert Kinsell Art Scholarship, awarded by the Friends of the Visual Arts at Stephen F. Austin State University.

Chris Talbot, director of the SFA School of Art, nominated Liller, a sophomore from Cypress with a major in photography, for the award.

"Katie is an excellent student and has a true passion for photography," Talbot said in his nomination. "She goes beyond the required and has an infectiously positive attitude.

"She is a leader in the Art Alliance student organization and (supports) the other students and the art community in Nacogdoches," he added. "She is a joy to have in class and shows great potential."

The SFA Friends of the Visual Arts established the Kinsell scholarship to support the educational goals of students currently enrolled in the School of Art by providing financial assistance to outstanding students in the visual arts program. The scholarship also honors Kinsell as a teacher, as an ardent supporter of the arts in the Nacogdoches community, and as a huge supporter of the FVA and its fundraising activities.

An art professor at SFA for 25 years before retiring in 2013, Kinsell taught courses in painting, drawing, figure drawing and advertising design. The Robert Kinsell Art Scholarship is awarded annually to an undergraduate or graduate level art student with painting or photography as his or her major study area, according to the criteria developed by Kinsell.

The SFA Friends of the Visual Arts is made up of community members who support the arts in East Texas and provide monetary assistance to students enrolling in the School of Art by conducting fundraisers, such as the upcoming annual 12 x 12 event in July.