Elizabeth “Libby” Bracy
2008 OACG Scholarship Recipient
by Dave Crookston

Thanks to the Ohio Arts and Crafts Guild, a Fine Arts student at Malone College in Canton is $1,000 closer to realizing her goal.

The student, Elizabeth “Libby” Bracy, and five others gathered in Osborne Hall on the Malone campus in the midst of a snowstorm February 12 for a short ceremony during which OACG President Vicki Boatright presented Libby with a $1,000 scholarship, a framed certificate commemorating the event and an OACG membership certificate and card.

 “I am honored to receive this scholarship, and thankful to the OACG for their help and support as I continue my education,” Libby said of the award.

The scholarship is funded by OACG auctions of donated arts and crafts items at the Yankee Peddler and Shaker Woods festivals. It was awarded following a vote by the OACG Board of Trustees.

Attending the ceremony in addition to Libby and Ms Boatright were Dr. Patty Long, interim Vice President for Academic Affairs at Malone College; Gary L. Spangler, Chairman of the Malone Visual Arts Department; Clare Murray Adams, Associate Professor of Art at Malone; and Dave Crookston, OACG treasurer.

In a letter of recommendation for Libby, Ms Adams wrote: “Libby came to Malone with basic art skills in painting and drawing. It is in the last year with the introduction of surface design techniques (dyeing, painting, stamping, and discharging of fabric) that Libby has developed a strong personal visual vocabulary. She has explored and combined paint and fabric, sewing and drawing into a unique vision based on family and feminine concepts that express personal ideas while having universal appeal. … This spring semester Libby has elected to focus her interest in fibers and painting through an independent study of these two areas.”

Dr. Long and Mr. Spangler were instrumental in forming a selection committee which arrived at the choice of Libby to receive the OACG scholarship for 2008.

The ad hoc Malone scholarship selection committee served in place of an OACG scholarship committee, which is being formed now. Volunteers are welcome and a chairperson with board status is needed.

Libby has an impressive resume to go along with her impressive artistic accomplishments. She comes from a family of nine: Dad works at the Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN) and Mom is busy at home with Libby’s one sister and five brothers, all younger than Libby.

“They both encourage and inspire me to work hard, and to continue to thrive in the Fine Arts program here at Malone,” Libby said of her parents.

“As the oldest of seven, I have always been aware of my responsibilities as both a student and a role model for my siblings, and thus have made school the biggest priority in my life,” Libby wrote in her application letter.

Libby is co-president of the Art Club at Malone and is serving an internship at the Canton Museum of Art, spending 10-12 hours a week assisting Lauren Kuntzman.

Her grade point average is 3-point-plus. She served a two-year-internship at Teen Mania’s Honor Academy, taking classes in conjunction with Tyler Junior College, a branch of the University of Texas, at Lindale, Texas, and has had field experiences at both Summit Elementary and Gibbs Elementary in Canton.

Her free time is spent working on paintings or fiber pieces in the Malone art room.

Her artwork is being exhibited at the Guild’s office/gallery at 338 Fourth St. N.W., Canton. If I may editorialize, the presentation of this scholarship made all the collecting of arts and crafts items both in hot sun and driving rains at Yankee Peddler and Shaker Woods and the auctions meaningful and worthwhile. Thanks to all who participated, either by donating to support this program or by working to make it come to fruition.


Scholarship presentation February 12, 2008. From left to right: Clare Murray Adams, Dr. Patty Long, Libby Bracy, Vicki Boatright, and Gary Spangler