One opportunity can change everything.
Patrick O’Keefe, Artist, Art Director, Spider-Man Into The Spider-Verse (2019) Spider-Man:Across The Spider-Verse (2023) and APW grad, has partnered with Animation Portfolio Workshop and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Canada to offer the O’Keefe Scholarship. The O’Keefe Scholarship is granted annually to one student who best meets the specific financial and artistic eligibility criteria for this opportunity.
The O’Keefe Scholarship consists of full tuition for one Session of the Animation Portfolio Workshop. Patrick O’Keefe will also provide a private online mentoring component for the scholarship recipient, consisting of one session per month for the duration of the APW Session. Gwartzman’s Art Supplies will supply the successful applicant with all required art materials free of charge for the duration of the APW Session.
Read Animation Career Review Article
Read CBC Article
Tuition
The scholarship covers the full tuition of the 2020/2021 Session
Mentoring
One session per month with Patrick O’Keefe for the duration of the session
Art Supplies
All art supplies are provided by Gwartzman’s Art Supplies
“Whether it is commercials, games, comic covers or film it all begins with an understanding of drawing and design that I learned at APW – which changed the way I look at the world and taught me how to express my creative ideas.”
Patrick O’Keefe
2020 was a good year for Labeeba Sharara from Bloor Collegiate Institute in Toronto. As the first recipient of the O’Keefe Scholarship, Labeeba has recently completed both APW Online and her personal online mentoring sessions with Patrick O’Keefe. Also, Labeeba’s character was chosen as the 4th prize winner in the 2020 APW Character Design Contest. Labeeba visits one of the best art supply stores in Toronto – Gwartzman’s Art Supplies, for her free art supplies.
O’Keefe Scholarship FAQ
- Must be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident of Canada
- 16 to 18 years of age (if you will turn 16 by April 8, you can still apply!)
- Be registered as a current youth mentor or mentee within any Big Brothers Big Sisters of Canada agency.
- Must not be enrolled in or have completed a full-time visual arts program
- Complete the application through the “Apply Now” section by the deadline of April 8, 2022 at 11:59 PM ET.
- Submit a one-page written component describing their artistic aspirations
- Submit 5 (minimum) to 10 (maximum) pieces of original art in any medium.
- Submit all application material by the scholarship application deadlines to be considered
- THE RECIPIENT OF THE O’KEEFE SCHOLARSHIP MUST BE ABLE TO ATTEND APW ONLINE SESSION I CLASSES ON EITHER SATURDAY OR SUNDAY, STARTING APRIL 23 OR 24, 2022 TO FEBRUARY 5, 2023
The O’Keefe Scholarship covers the full tuition of the 2022/2023 Online Session I of the Animation Portfolio Workshop.
Patrick O’Keefe will also provide a private mentoring component (via Skype) for the scholarship recipient, consisting of one session per month for the duration of the Fall Session.
Gwartzman’s Art Supplies will supply the successful applicant with all required art materials free of charge for the duration of the APW Session
Full tuition fee for regular 38-week online session is $5,050.00 CDN. The Scholarship is not transferable to another year and can only be used for the Spring 2022/2023 Workshop that falls within the same calendar year in which the scholarship recipient has been chosen.
- YOU MUST BE registered as a current youth mentor or mentee within any Big Brothers Big Sisters of Canada agency in order to apply for this scholarship.
- Complete the application process by filling out and submitting the Application Form section on the O’Keefe Scholarship page on the BBBS website by the deadline of April 8, 2022 at 11:59 PM ET.
- Submit a one-page written component describing your artistic aspirations
- Submit 5 (minimum) to 10 (maximum) pieces of original art in any medium.
- Submit all application material by the scholarship application deadlines to be considered (See Application Deadline section)
Patrick O’Keefe is a Toronto-born, Los Angeles-based illustrator and art director. He began his artistic pursuit while attending Northern Secondary School in Toronto. At the behest of his high school art teacher, Mr. Steve MacNaughton, and in preparation for his post-secondary studies, Patrick enrolled in the Animation Portfolio Workshop (APW). After working with APW directors Gerard Sternik and Vincent Peets, Patrick soon discovered that this program would become the beginning of a lifelong pursuit of art, hard work, and mentorship that would lay the foundation of discipline for a career as a commercial artist.
After completing the APW program, Patrick studied illustration at Sheridan College before transferring to the Emily Carr University of Art and Design, where he received his Bachelor of Media Arts in Film and Animation Design.
Most recently, Patrick served as an art director on Sony Pictures Oscar winning animation feature film Spider-Man™: Into the Spider-Verse, which was released in December 2018
April 8 at 11:59 pm EST / application to BBBS of Canada must be submitted
April 15 / O’Keefe Scholarship recipient is notified
April 23 or 24 / APW Online Session I course begins for Scholarship recipient
Monthly mentoring schedule is arranged between Pat O’Keefe and Scholarship recipient after April 23, 2022 start date of Online Session I classes.
THE RECIPIENT OF THE O’KEEFE SCHOLARSHIP MUST BE ABLE TO ATTEND APW ONLINE SESSION I CLASSES ON EITHER SATURDAY OR SUNDAY, STARTING APRIL 23 OR 24, 2022 TO FEBRUARY 5, 2023
Digital artwork by Patrick O’Keefe
To apply for the O’Keefe Scholarship, you must be registered as a current youth mentor or mentee within any Big Brothers Big Sisters of Canada agency.