It’s always nice to see companies do something for their customers that would not necessarily be required of them. That’s exactly what the folks at VSCO has done as they have launched their Artist Initiative program which is basically a $1 million scholarship aimed at photographers and visual artists to help them further their studies and to gain more knowledge.
For those unfamiliar with VSCO, the company is known for their VSCO Cam app for smartphones. In some ways it follows Instagram’s setup, where users can add filters to their photos and share it on VSCO’s social network. The main difference would be that users can buy additional filters and there are more in-depth editing options, such as adjusting the shadows and highlights, sharpness, and so on.
Funding for the program had launched earlier this year where it sat at $100,000, but it has since managed to raise $1 million. The first round of scholarship recipients have already been announced. It comprises of 12 artists from around the world and their work will be display on the scholarship website and will be sold online.
The profit of their works will then be split between the artist and the fund for the next round of recipients. For those interested in participating in the scholarship, you will have to download the app and start displaying your work, and you would also have to be over 18. VSCO notes that you don’t necessarily need to be a photographer, but you will have to photograph your work to display it.
[Image credit – Chris Schoonover]