The Will Ballantyne Scholarship for Visual Arts is awarded annually to a current Melbourne Grammar School Year 12 student demonstrating outstanding talent, accomplishment, and promise in the Visual Arts, and a desire in pursuing a career in a related field.
The Scholarship pays tribute to Will Ballantyne (OM 2010) who tragically died in 2013.
Applications open and close in October each year, with eligible Year 11 students able to apply for the Scholarship in the following year.
The story behind the Scholarship
After the tragic death of their son Will (OM 2010) in 2013, Andrew (OM 1978) and Samantha Ballantyne, together with their children Annabel, Daisy (OM 2013) and James (OM 2014), sought an appropriate way to commemorate their beloved son and brother. Inspired by Will’s love for the visual arts, the family settled upon the idea of a unique scholarship that would encourage other students to pursue their passion.
A keen illustrator, Will spent many hours during his VCE at Motor Works (our Art School) refining his craft and opening his mind to the possibilities of a career in the arts. A little gentle encouragement from Paul Baxter, his Studio Art teacher, saw Will secure a hard-won six-month internship at the Simon Lee Gallery in London. It was an experience that changed his life, and he returned to Australia with a new clarity. “It really helped Will work out what he liked, what he didn’t like, and what he needed to do at uni to make it happen,” James says. “He came back from that gap year in London so motivated.”
Through the scholarship, the Ballantynes hope to provide a pathway for other creative students to explore study and careers in the arts after school. “Motor Works was such a haven for Will during his last few years, and for James, too, during his VCE,” Samantha explains. James adds, “The idea behind the scholarship was to help a student who truly does want to do art for a career, so that their tuition fees from Year 12 could be used later on for art classes or art supplies.”
It is the first Visual Arts scholarship to be offered at Melbourne Grammar School. As an endowed scholarship, the opportunity is funded in perpetuity, enabling talented students in the years to come to pursue their passion for art.
Apply for the Scholarship
Applications are not currently open.