The James Patrick O'Toole Memorial Scholarship

James Patrick O’Toole was a respected visual artist. His work was inspired by the changing landscapes of West Central IL that he photographed during leisurely drives with friends. Jim loved to tour and photograph lonely back roads marked "road closed,° or “bridge out,” or “nothing but some lost cows down here.” His paintings and prints have been displayed in galleries, businesses and private art collections. “O’Toole,” as he was known to the community of Macomb, was a 30-year member of Two Rivers Arts Council; a regional arts partnership of artists, agencies and communities that promotes the arts and cultural heritage of 13 counties of downstate IL. Upon his passing in 2018, family, friends, and others whose life O’Toole had touched, held an auction of his art work that constituted the property of his estate for the purpose of raising funds to create a scholarship in his memory at the University. Proceeds of the auction will be donated by the Estate to the University for the establishment of the Scholarship.

CRITERIA:
Open to students attending the University full time who have completed their junior-year level course of study, and who will be pursuing their undergraduate studies at the University as seniors. Qualified applicants for the Scholarship are students who:
1. Will be graduating from WIU with a BFA or BA in Art degree;
2. Have graduated from a high school in McDonough County, Illinois, or any contiguous county;
3. Have minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 and minimum major GPA of 3.5 (based on a 4.0 scale);
4. Demonstrate high ethics through leadership, community service, and overall personal integrity within a written essay.
In case of multiple applicants, the Scholarship award shall be made on the basis of the applicant having the highest GPA achieved in the core Art courses completed by them through their fifth semester of study. If two or more applicants are equal in the achievement of this GPA, the award shall be made on the basis of their persona I essays.