The Weyburn Arts Council awards the Millie Coghill Fine Arts Scholarship to adults taking multi-part classes or university classes in Fine Arts.
Millie Coghill was a prolific multi-medium Weyburn-area artist for well over a generation, who was one of the creators of the Weyburn Wheel at the Weyburn Public Library. Her family started the scholarship after her passing, which is administered by the Weyburn Arts Council.
"It is for multi-section classes," shared the Weyburn Arts Council's Acting Chair, Natasha Hill. "For instance, the pottery six-week pottery program at the Spark Centre or the six-week ceramic program at CollabArtive Studios."
Previously, the Millie Coghill was awarded annually. Now, the application process is ongoing.
Read more: Changes to the Millie Coghill Fine Arts Scholarship making funds accessible year-round
"We set an annual budget within the board executive for both the ReGifted program and the Millie Coghill, and it is an ongoing process. Once we hit our annual allotment, then we won't receive any more applications for that year."
She said they have granted one person this year with the Millie Coghill scholarship.
"We try to ensure that we can award more than one [Millie Coghill] scholarship per year, but that's not always been the case. We have granted some fairly significant sums over the years. It just depends on the application and the program that the person is entering."
Find out more HERE about the Millie Coghill Fine Arts Scholarship.
Multiple people this year have benefitted the ReGifted micro-bursary program, which is available within Weyburn and surrounding communities, enabling adults 18 and older to apply for up to $50 for a one-time class. Learn more about ReGifted HERE.
Hill said the Weyburn Arts Council helps out in these ways because they believe it is essential for our community to provide art programming.
"Art is essential to the well-being not only of the person but of the community. It's been evidenced through our mural project. The rate of vandalism is down exponentially because there's public art on surfaces, and it's only going to keep going that way. The more that we can get murals up and have involvement in that respect. It drives tourism, it drives community pride."
"We can't discount the mental health aspect of what art provides to a person that's essential to their well-being."
She said the impact of creativity on mental health is just as important as physical activity.
"You have to be able to express that artistic part of you in order to have balance in your life."
Hill noted some say there is no value in art, espousing the idea that public money should not be utilized for art programming.
"I challenge that. It's fact-based. It's not just an opinion it's fact-based the benefits that the arts bring to not just Weyburn, but Saskatchewan."