Brea and Huy Receive Scholarships From Arts Institute Group of M.V. and Methuen Arts Initiative

Scholarship recipients Duong Huy and Liz Brea, center, with members of the Arts Institute Group of The Merrimack Valley, Methuen Arts Initiative and others. (Courtesy photograph.)

Liz Brea of Methuen and Duong Huy of Lowell were recently awarded scholarships by the Arts Institute Group of The Merrimack Valley and Methuen Arts Initiative.

Brea was the primary scholarship winner. She has multiple interests in the arts including painting, photography and fashion design which, the groups said, fueled her passion at the age of four to explore the arts. She will attend MassArt in the fall. A second scholarship went to Huy, who is planning to attend the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York in the fall. Duong’s main love is photography and he has been motivated by seeing how his photography can make an impact on his community and bring about positive outcomes.

Arts Institute Group President David Jones said he “was extremely pleased to have many talented student artists apply for the scholarship this year,” while. Methuen Arts Founder Mimi Leger added “this year’s recipients deserve extra distinction for continuing to pursue their art even as many schools were closed or forced to use remote learning due to the pandemic.”

Methuen Arts recently received a creative placemaking grant from the Essex County Community Foundation, Creative County Initiative. The grant will be used to install an artistic lighting display at the Spicket River Waterfall in downtown Methuen. Part of the grant funds are earmarked for artists who will create light designs that will be projected on the Falls.

The judges reviewed the work submitted for the scholarship and found Brea’s work was well suited to be the inspiration for a light display. She is working with Ryan Bennett, a local film maker, to transform her painting into light. The display will be shown at the “Light the Falls” planned soft launch in October. The arts groups are also hopeful that her work will be on the Methuen Rail Trail this summer through cup art displays and other mediums.

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