Lydia Siedschlag Scholarship
Beloved by all who knew her, Lydia Siedschlag was a wonder for Western Michigan University and the Kalamazoo community as a whole. Ms. Siedschlag first walked the halls of Western Michigan University as a student when the only campus that existed was atop Prospect Hill and the university was still strictly a teaching college known as Western Normal School. After graduating, she became a Professor of Art at her alma mater, where she remained until retirement, becoming both the Chair of the Art Department and the campus interior decorator, a role which led her to do much of the initial collecting for the University Art Collection.
Although first and foremost she was an educator, Ms. Siedschlag was an incredibly accomplished artist, creating stunning charcoal portraits, often of the people she knew and loved most. Her students remember her as caring and daring, encouraging them to succeed in all their endeavors and arming them with the greatest tools to do so. The last living person to have a building on campus named for them, she made an incredible impact on this university.
With the ongoing improvements and alterations of campus, Siedschlag Hall was razed in 2021. Although her physical legacy has been fractured with the loss of this charming dormitory and the ever changing interiors of buildings across campus, Lydia Siedschlag’s legacy lives on in the hearts and minds of those affected by her life and work. When the sunlight shines through the stained glass windows at Kanley Chapel, or a passerby is struck by the beauty of one of the many artifacts collected by Ms. Siedschlag which still takes up residence in buildings across campus, a new life is given to her legacy.
The on-campus residence hall for Fine Arts students has been temporarily relocated to Harvey Hall as exciting changes continue on the Western campus. All qualifying students will automatically be considered for this scholarship upon successful application. The awards are made at the annual Frostic School of Art Awards Ceremony in April and are effective for the duration of the next academic year. Previous recipients may apply in subsequent years.
Application deadline
- Second Friday in February
Award amount
- Amount varies from year to year
- Multiple awards
- Scholarships are effective for the duration of the next academic year. One-half during the fall semester and one-half during the spring semester.
Eligibility
- Undergraduate Major in the Frostic School of Art
- 3.30 or higher GPA
- Undergraduate student with art as primary major
- Enrolled full time
- Graduating seniors are ineligible
- Harvey Hall resident during the academic year after application
Application process
- Prepare five studio images and/or video files or a writing sample for art history majors
- Artist Statement
- Applications are now submitted online through SlideRoom