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The Stanly Arts Guild has awarded two art scholarships of $1,000 for the school year 2021.

Eli Williams, a rising sophomore and honor student at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, was presented the Patricia Blake Hartley Scholarship, which provides financial assistance to a Stanly County student enrolled in a college visual arts program.

The award is sponsored annually by the Hartley family in memory of their mother, Patricia, a longtime member of the Stanly Arts Guild and strong advocate for art education.

Eli is the son of John Jr. and Nicole Williams of Albemarle.

Catherine Laws, a 2021 graduate of West Stanly High School, was awarded the Stanly Arts Guild Scholarship which is given annually to a student from Stanly or surrounding county and accepted to a college in an arts or art education major.

Catherine, an honor student at West Stanly, will attend Catawba College this fall with a major in design and production, and is the daughter of Ryan and Angela Laws of Oakboro.

Receiving an honorarium of $100 from the Stanly Arts Guild for her work in graphic arts is Sheridan Meadors, also an honor graduate of West Stanly High School this spring.

Sheridan will attend Stanly Community College this fall and major in graphic arts. She is the daughter of Thomas and Ellen Meadors of Stanfield.

“It has been my pleasure to meet these young artists and to see their artistic skills and talents put to use,” said Carole Poplin, scholarship chairwoman for the guild. “We appreciate so much the Patricia Blake Hartley family for their continued support of young people who love art and are pursuing a career in an artistic field.”

The public is invited to The Stanly Arts guild, 330 C N. Second St., Albemarle, which until Aug. 7 has on display the Summer Art Explosion, a judged exhibition. Store hours are 12-4 p.m. Wednesday, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Thursday and Friday and 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday.