Okamoto Scholarship

Chad Okamoto Memorial Scholarship

 

2013 Theme: "Dreams and Visions"

2013 Application Due Date: Wednesday, May 1, 2013


Winner 2012: Jacqueline DonEcho

Artist Statement

I panicked as I arrived home ten years ago, "I cannot breath. I cannot scream for help. I am going to die right here," I said to myself. How could I have survived Cancer and survived Crohn's Disease- to just die for no reason while sitting in a car? I prayed my last prayer as the paramedics arrived. "Your oxygen is 100% but we will put on the oxygen mask just to be safe." How could I have enough oxygen when I could not inhale or exhale? My body felt paralyzed from the inside to the outside. I was diagnosed with non-epileptic seizures. 

On exhibit September 2012- September 2013, Breath/Breadth addresses the vulnerability and majesty of the human condition, exploring the forefronts of discovery in neurology, psychology, and astronomy. Here we face our greatest insignificance and our greatest opportunities for significance as we apply our imagination and creativity to discover the unimaginable. This exhibit is dedicated to those with physical and mental limitations with the challenge to limit our limitations and passionately pursue our personal potential.

My unconscious, uncontrolled markings of energy are recorded in an automatic drawing, like a scribbled seismographic recorded of a personal earthquake during a seizure. I draw with right and left hands simultaneously, trying to come to consciousness. 1880, Charcot, Breuer, and Freud studied non-epileptic seizures as they developed the frontier of neurology and founded the frontier of psychology.

During the unconscious, dreamlike state, I experience the sensation of leaving my body behind and uniting with the vastness of the cosmos. Conscious, controlled markings of energy are recorded in paintings referencing astronomy from Hubble Telescope images. The similarity of patterns in Universe Network/ Neuron Network/ Automatic Drawing is surprising. The diversity of patterns among Whirlpool Galaxy, Orion Nebula, and Dying Star is stimulating. We are created from stardust whose energized particles are archived in Human Brain CT Scans, which are record of our inspirations and aspirations.

Chad Okamoto Scholarship Past Winners

  • 2011-12 Julie Nguyen
  • 2009-10 Nancy Sevier
  • 2008-09 Teresa Kwon
  • 2007-08 Danny Hellevig
  • 2006-07 Nalyne Lunati
  • 2005-06 Haneen Hammad
  • 2004-05 Kevin Nguyen
  • 2003-04 Eileen David
  • 2002-03 Pamela Luk Yan Lam

ART & DESIGN SCHOLARSHIP IS IN MEMORY OF CHADWICK OKAMOTO

Chad Okamoto passionately pursued his life-long dream of becoming an artist. His skills awarded him a place in the prestigious fine art program at UCLA where he earned his degree. This eventually led him to his dream job in September of 2001. Finding such a job in the arts in the Bay Area took perseverance and a passion for his work. It was a long journey, one that required hard work and patience. When doors appeared shut Chad increased the breadth of his knowledge and experience with specialized classes at DeAnza College. He entered drawing competitions to expand his creativity. He pursued many art forms, primarily graphic design and animation. Chad will be remembered not just as a talented artist, but also as a great friend, loyal brother, and devoted son. He had a great outlook and enjoyed a well-rounded life. He enjoyed the challenges of competition and strived to be the best he could be in the pursuits he loved: the arts, as well as baseball, gymnastics, and especially ice hockey. Just a few short weeks after achieving his goal, a dream job in animation, Chad's life ended tragically due to an unexpected medical condition. This memorial scholarship was established to assist art students to fulfill their artistic dreams, so future artists will benefit from Chad Okamoto's life.

THE 2013 THEME: “Dreams and Visions" AND THE CRITERIA:

  • Artwork must be display ready.
  • All medium must be wall mountable or displayable on LCD.
  • Judging of slides or CD (animation also accepted) will be conducted by SJSU-SHC staff with Art Department support. Artwork must include: title, medium, dimensions, and artist's name.
  • Dimensions may range from 8.5”X11” to 6'x6', framing excluded or animation for LCD screen.
  • Winning piece or pieces (i.e. if work is a series of related pieces) will be displayed at the SJSU Student Health Center for a year. If the work is ongoing and the student would like to do a changing exhibition, criteria can be discussed in artist statement.

DUE DATE: Wednesday, May 1, 2013

Accredited By AAAHC Logo