The Museum of Contemporary Art Denver is awarding a $20,000 college scholarship to a graduating high school senior who demonstrates innovation, creativity, fearlessness, and a willingness to risk failure in the pursuit of something new. The Failure Award Scholarship rewards a Colorado student who embraces the spirit of creative risk taking with scholarship dollars that can be used at any accredited, post-secondary institution or trade school towards educational expenses.
While so much of student life is focused on achievement, MCA Denver believes that in order to create something original and authentic, it is necessary to risk failure. The Failure Award is given not on the basis of academic merit or athletic prowess, but rather on a student’s demonstration of a willingness to take these risks.
Eligibility
Students who meet all of the criteria are eligible to apply.
- Are a resident of and attend high school in Colorado
- Will graduate from high school in the spring of 2025
- Will attend an accredited, post-secondary institution or trade school in the fall of 2025
- Are able to attend the Failure Award Scholarship presentation on April 26, 2025
Selection
The scholarships will be awarded through a competitive process based on documentation of a project the student created or produced while in high school that demonstrates originality and creativity. This includes:
- project description
- supporting documentation
- demonstration of creative risk-taking
- presentation
If selected, students will present their project to a panel of judges, as well as to the visiting public, during the MCA Denver Failure Award Presentation Session. Each student will be given up to ten minutes to present their work and then will answer questions from the panel. Participants will be evaluated on originality, innovation, and their ability to present a project within the theme of risking failure as an integral part of the creative process.
The winner of the Failure Award Scholarship will receive a college scholarship in the amount of up to $20,000. The award will be distributed for up to four years in $5,000 increments.
Additional information
Finalists must be available on Saturday, April 26, 2025, to present to judges at The Holiday Theater. Applicants who cannot present their work at the presentation session will not be eligible for this scholarship. While not mandatory, finalists are encouraged to attend a rehearsal at The Holiday Theater on the evening of Friday, April 25, 2025, to rehearse their presentation and have dinner with other finalists. Neither MCA Denver nor The Denver Foundation will reimburse for travel/lodging expenses.
Awards can be used for tuition, fees, required books and supplies, room and board, and other qualified educational expenses. All scholarships will be paid directly to a recipient’s school. Award disbursement is contingent upon the outside scholarship policies of a recipient’s college or university, as well as the length of their program. Exceptions may be made for students who have been accepted into a college but defer enrollment for one year (commonly referred to as a gap year).
The Failure Award is based on documentation of a project the student created or produced while in high school that demonstrates originality and creativity. This can be a creative project, like a novel, a play, an opera; a technology-based project like a design for a new car, or a spaceship, or a robot; or something that falls outside of these criteria altogether. Some projects may present solutions to problems in the world, however, all projects will be considered, no matter how harebrained, impractical, or absurd.
Applicants must submit documentation of a project, which they have undertaken and completed during their high school years, that demonstrates a higher level of creativity in the attempt to create something that is genuinely new. We are looking for projects that contain originality and authenticity. All types of projects will be considered, including, but not limited to: visual arts, drawing, painting, photography, sculpture, dance, theatre, performing arts, instrument or voice composition, design, fashion, culinary arts, technology, gaming, robotics, business ventures, social innovation, or other creative practice. The project must be the original work of the applicant. Group projects will not be considered. Projects must be complete, and scholarship dollars cannot be directed towards completion of the project.
Finalists will be selected based on their project description and supporting documentation, their demonstration of creative risk-taking, and their presentation. If selected, students will present their project to a panel of judges, as well as to the visiting public, during the MCA Denver Failure Award. Each student will be given up to ten minutes to present their work and then will answer questions from the panel. Participants will be evaluated on originality, innovation, and their ability to present a project within the theme of risking failure as an integral part of the creative process.
How to apply
- Read through the eligibility to confirm you meet the requirements for the scholarship opportunity
- Log into scholarship lifecycle manager and apply for Universal Application 2025 – Cycle 1
- Prepare and submit the following items:
- At least three and no more than five photos, illustrations, or videos that demonstrate your project.
- Five descriptive answer questions:
- How did you become interested in your project?
- Describe the process of creating your project.
- What obstacles did you have to overcome in creating your project?
- Please describe how your project demonstrates or relates to a failure.
- Describe how you plan to present the project.
