Karen Aim Youth Art Scholarship

Following the tragic death of young Scottish tourist Karen Aim in Taupo early this year, a community working group has proposed that a memorial scholarship programme be established to honour Miss Aim’s memory.

The Karen Aim Memorial Working Group, comprising Deputy Mayor Christine McElwee, Councillor Kathryn Uvhagen and Reverend John Howell, has suggested that Youth Art Scholarships of $2000 each be awarded to two Taupo senior art students annually.

The concept for the scholarship arose from Miss Aim’s love of visual arts and her professional involvement with visual arts in the Taupo area.

The scholarships will assist recipients who enrol in art education at a tertiary level. In return, the recipients will be required to produce a piece of visual art suitable for permanent display in Taupo or the Orkney Isles (Miss Aim’s birthplace).

Funding for the scholarships has been provided jointly by Taupo community donations, Taupo Rotary Club and Creative Arts Taupo. Current funding is sufficient to provide scholarships to two worthy students selected in 2008. Further sponsorship of the Karen Aim Memorial Youth Art Scholarships is being sought currently from the community for future annual awards.

Mayor Rick Cooper said Miss Aim’s murder was a tragic time for the entire community and a personally distressing time for him. “I am totally in support of the proposed scholarships and I will personally donate $1000 per year for the next two years.”

The Karen Aim Memorial Working Group Convenor, Deputy Mayor Christine McElwee, says the group worked hard to develop a memorial that captures the spirit and essence of its purpose. “We trust the scholarships are an appropriate gesture to the Aim family who has suffered an enormous loss. We also hope the scholarships will foster the artistic talents of young Taupo people,” she says.

The working group will now proceed with seeking applications for the 2008 scholarships from year 12 and 13 art students in the Taupo community.