Two talented Bermudian art students have received a welcome boost to their tuition fees, thanks to Butterfield Bank, which provides two annual awards: one for Fine Arts and one for Applied Arts, each valued at $10,000.

This year's winner of the Fine Arts Award is Alexander Curtis, while Lisza Rawlins has won the Applied Arts Award. Both are students at the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) in Georgia, USA.

In making the announcement, Tracy Outerbridge, Butterfield Bank assistant vice-president, marketing and communications, noted that last year both recipients were runners-up in their categories, so it was gratifying not only to see that they had applied again but also the progress each had made in a year.

"The Bank is a huge supporter of the arts in Bermuda, and these awards are just one of the ways in which we can encourage artistic growth here," she said.

Thirty art students applied for the Awards, ten of whom — including Mr. Curtis and Miss Rawlins — are studying at SCAD.

Alexander Curtis is described by SCAD Professor Troy Gustafson as "one of my top students in every respect. A very intelligent and capable person... His motivation and drive are an inspiration to other students... Tremendous amount of creative energy and ability... has the skill and talent to go very far in the animation business".

Which is precisely what Mr. Curtis aims to do. In his statement of artistic intent to Butterfield Bank, Mr. Curtis said the influence of storytelling was of great importance, "especially on the developing ethos of children", himself included. Recalling the books of his childhood, he said their imaginary worlds equipped him to live in this one, and also instilled in him a deep respect for the greatness of stories, which is why he now wants to be an animator.

"Animation has a wonderful affinity for storytelling," he wrote. "Magic is inherent in its exaggerations, its distortions and its possibilities. It can spin a story without limit, create characters more vital than any person, and moments more memorable than reality. I love what is open to the animator. I love what he can do with the strength of the medium, and the strength of his imagination."

In fact, Mr. Curtis withdrew from the engineering programme at Lehigh University to follow his love of animation. Before entering SCAD, he spent two years at Barnstone Studios studying techniques and systems of design used by the Renaissance masters, focusing his studies on the work of Raphael and Peter Paul Rubens in order to understand the formalisation of anatomy, and the old masters' approach to the third dimension. Mr. Curtis is also well-versed in the important elements of compositional design — all systems which provide a sound foundation for the animator, but acknowledges that the more he learns, the more he realises he has to learn.

Having studied the work of Disney's legendary illustrators, Mr. Curtis said their artistry took his breath away.

"All that effort, all that craft, is dedicated to telling the story and telling it well," he wrote. "That is what I dream of... what I work for. I know that achievement will be an ever-receding horizon, one that may take a lifetime to reach, but that is something I have always loved about art, and something I love about animation. It is something I can devote my life to."

This summer, Mr. Curtis will study with former Disney animator John Weber, and he is also working on a collaborative film, 'A Slice of Life'. He will enter his senior year in the autumn and begin production of another short film, 'Trouble Brewing'.

"Now that I am more comfortable with the principles of animation I can improve on my acting, composition and storytelling," Mr. Curtis says.

As for the future, the Fine Arts Award winner says he would love to direct his own feature animation. Meanwhile, after graduation he hopes to enter a major animation studio and learn from the ground up.

"I can't wait to be there, to be surrounded by unbelievable artists and resources and with the pressure of a deadline. There's no better way to learn."

Meanwhile, Mr. Curtis says he was "extremely happy and honoured to receive such a prestigious award from the Bank".

"Recognition like this is also very reassuring. In the struggle to get better you lose track of your progress. When you step back and realise, 'Hey, this drawing isn't so bad', it's a good feeling."

Mr. Curtis also pays tribute to his mother, Celia, without whose support he says he would have been unable to pursue a career in animation.

"She believed in me even when I have not, and I owe any personal achievement entirely to her. This award is a wonderful way to thank her, and relieve the financial strain of my education."

Lisza Rawlins is a mature student who, in 2006, decided to interrupt her career as a graphic designer to pursue a Master of Fine Arts degree in graphic design at the Atlanta campus of SCAD, where she "is now engaged in a wonderful journey of art and design, which is fulfilling and exciting".

At SCAD, she not only maintains a high Grade Point Average (GPA) with mostly As, but also one of her pieces was featured on the SCAD-Atlanta website as part of a promotion for the Artist Book Symposium. She is also a student ambassador for the school.

With one year to go for completion of her Master's degree, Ms Rawlins' experience thus far has evoked an interest in non-traditional materials, or items not commonly found in graphic design work, such as plastic, fabric, Plexiglas and metal.

"Non-traditional materials offer unique and innovative solutions to almost any design piece," she says. "I am excited about being able to share the knowledge that I have gained, especially since my desire to empower, equip, train and inspire are some of the motivating factors behind the pursuit of my graduate degree."

Upon completion of her Master's degree, her primary career goal is to spend five years as a creative or art director, following which her goal is to share her knowledge and expertise with others in the education area.

Ms Rawlins would like to teach at the college level, and says her ultimate desire is to establish a learning centre in Bermuda for the creative arts.

"I have a passion for design, and I believe I can make a significant contribution to the learning environment," she says. "I am deeply committed to art and design, and I believe that Bermuda could benefit from my creative voice and instincts."

Future plans also include the development of a line of inspirational greeting cards and packaging by Lisza Nichole, which she hopes "will bring encouragement, hope and support".

The 2008 Butterfield Bank Applied Arts Award winner has always been creative and enjoyed working with her hands. She designed and made her own clothing, as well as gifts for others, during her time as an undergraduate at Florida A&M University.

"The school had a graphic arts programme which I enjoyed so much that I chose it as my major," she says. "It seems to be who I am as a person, and I just love it. I enjoy designing and creating, and taking someone's ideas and creating imagery and work that they see in their head but can't get out creatively."

In terms of the award, cash-strapped Ms Rawlins says she is "very excited' to be a recipient, "because it is expensive to go to school, and since I am doing this on my own, the extra assistance is wonderful to have".