We’re excited to announce the recipients of this year’s festival scholarships. Our scholarships are awarded to students who have shown exceptional creativity, talent, and dedication in the fields of visual arts and music.
Your achievements are an inspiration, and we look forward to seeing all that you accomplish in the future!
Mia Burns – Virginia Harris Memorial Scholarship
Mia’s instrument is the oboe; she has played in numerous bands and orchestras at Oconomowoc High School, as well as the Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra and the Oconomowoc Legion Band. In addition to her exemplary musicianship, she is described by her teachers as a true leader and will go out of her way to help others who may be struggling.
Mia’s many talents will take her to UW-Madison in the fall, where she plans to major in health promotion/equity and oboe performance.
Zella Lollar – John Rawlins Memorial Scholarship
Before she even attended school, she was creating Barbie clothes out of scraps and building creations for her brother using duct tape. Zella’s love of math and art has drawn her to the field of industrial design where her dream is to combine her textile and sewing skills, sense of humor, and digital knowledge to create designs of the future, reusing existing materials and designing with the environment in mind. She loves sculpting and received the National Gold Key Scholastic Art award for that art form.
Zella will attend Kansas State University in the fall and is enrolled in the Architectural, Planning and Design program.
Isabella Albano – Fine Arts Scholarship
Though singing is her true passion, she’s a triple threat: singer, actor, and dancer. As of 2025, she can add director to that list, as she co-directed the student-led play at Oconomowoc High School, with “creativity, quiet strength, intelligence and humor” according to one of her teachers.
Isabella is beyond excited about moving to New York to attend the American Musical and Dramatic Academy to further her dreams of being a performer.
Jenna Detro – Fine Arts Scholarship
Jenna aspires to graduate with a degree in Music Education and become a music teacher. Inspired by educators as a student, she realized that music is therapeutic and can be a connection to others. Jenna has nurtured the talents of middle school students in their music programs.
As a teacher, she would like to share her knowledge and passion of music with young people, encouraging them to express themselves in whatever aspect they choose. In addition to playing the piano, saxophone, clarinet, and flute, Jenna is a vocalist who give private lessons. She inspires her students to be persistent, move forward, and stay true to themselves.
Jenna will study Music Education at Luther College in Decorah, Iowa.
Since 1983, the Oconomowoc Festival of the Arts has offered scholarships to young artists and musicians majoring in the fine arts. In fact, over the past 50 years, over $200,000 has been awarded in scholarships through this fund!
The Festival of the Arts awards scholarships to students who are pursuing a college major in visual or performance arts. It is our way of ensuring that future generations will continue our legacy of love for the world of fine arts. We are proud to be able to support these young artists and students in the pursuit of their artistic, academic, and career goals.
If you know of a student from the Oconomowoc area who intends to pursue a career in the arts, please encourage them to apply for an OFA Scholarship.
The deadline to apply for 2025 is Saturday, May 3, 2025.
