In conjunction with the State of Iowa's Homecoming '86 celebration, world-renowned opera singer Simon Estes held a benefit concert to establish the Iowa Scholarship for the Arts. From 1986 to 1994 the Iowa Arts Council awarded scholarships to over 20 undergraduate students who excelled in the arts. By 1994, most of the funds raised from the benefit concert had been expended.

In 1996, the Iowa Arts Council, under the leadership of William H. Jackson, established an endowment to guarantee perpetual funding of the Iowa Scholarships for the Arts Program. Initial partners who contributed funds to establish the endowment included Two Rivers Arts Festival and Raccoon River Brewing Company in Des Moines, the Ameristar Casino in Council Bluffs, and private donations by Iowa Arts Council board members and private citizens.

* You must meet all of the following in order to be eligible for this scholarship:
* You must be an Iowa resident who will graduate from an Iowa high school during the 2008-2009 school year
* You must show proven artistic ability in at least one of these arts areas: dance, literature, music, theatre, traditional arts, and visual arts
* You will need to be accepted as a full-time undergraduate at a fully-accredited Iowa college or university with a major in one or more of the areas listed above
Not Eligible: Iowa Arts Council or Young Iowans Cultural Council board or staff, or a member of their immediate family or dependent children.

Your application should reflect your sense of dedication to your chosen art discipline. Panelists will evaluate and score each application based on the following criteria as demonstrated in the written essay and during the interview:

* Proven artistic and academic abilities in the area of music, dance, literature, theatre, traditional arts, or visual arts.
* Future goals and objectives relating to the intended field of study.