The Arts Council of Moore County’s Barnes-Travis Arts Scholarship was established in 2000 with the goal to support Moore County middle & high school students with a demonstrated talent and interest in the arts. The scholarship may be used for such items as fees for a music or arts camp, studying dance at a dance company, or taking private lessons with an art or music teacher. The scholarship may not be used for school trips or college tuition.
The scholarship is named for Cos & Harry Barnes and Vaud Travis, III, three arts lovers whose families have been long-time supporters of the Arts Council of Moore County. Additional scholarship funds have been added in someone’s honor or memory to offer more scholarships. The Barnes-Travis Arts Scholarship Program funds include:
- Barnes-Travis Arts Scholarship – Awarded to applicants wishing to pursue any interest in the arts.
- Rouhier Visual Arts Scholarship – Awarded to visual arts applicants in memory of Carol Lawson Rouhier, artist & longtime supporter of the Arts Council.
- Byles Percussion Scholarship – Awarded to percussion applicants in memory of drummer David Byles.
- Ralph Jacobson Scholarship – Awarded in memory of Ralph Jacobson, this scholarship funds applicants wishing to attend an overnight camp in any arts genre.
- Laine Lea Classical Ballet Scholarship – Awarded in honor of Laine Lea’s dedication to the art of ballet, this scholarship funds applicants wishing to study classical ballet & contemporary ballet & who live in Moore County, NC. Please note, with the addition of contemporary ballet submissions, applications will continue to be reviewed & awarded for displaying a proper understanding & execution of classical ballet technique–the foundation & structured base for various other dance disciplines. The ballet scholarship panel consists of the following experts:
- Laine Lea – Founding board member of Carolina Performing Arts Center in Southern Pines, NC
- Debra Senchak – Former dancer at New Jersey Ballet | Studied at Washington School of Ballet, American Ballet Theater School, David Howard School, & New Jersey Ballet School | Director & teacher at Infinity Ballet Conservatory & Theatre
- Heather Scott – Former dancer at Boston Ballet & Carolina Ballet | Studied at Royal Academy of Dance, UNC School of the Arts, School of American Ballet, Joffrey Ballet School, Ballet Academy East, & Boston Ballet | Teaches classical ballet masterclasses in & around Moore County
- Jill Sugg – Bio coming soon
Since the inception of the Barnes-Travis Arts Scholarship, the Arts Council has awarded $101,755 in scholarships to 235 middle and high school students pursuing their interest in the arts. In addition to private lessons in art, dance, film, music, theatre, & writing, past scholarship winners have attended such fine arts programs at American Ballet Theatre, Parson School for Design, UNC School of the Arts, New York Film Academy, Rockettes Summer Intensive, Southeastern Regional Ballet Association, New England Music Camp, Carolina Ballet, SCAD, Boston University, Brevard Music Center, NC Governor’s School, NC Suzuki Institute at ECU, UNC at Greensboro, Appalachian State University, Gary Taylor Dance, STARS Charter School, Terpsichore Dance, Imagine Youth Theatre, Encore Center, Temple Theater, NC State University, and more.
2026 Scholarship Information
2026 DEADLINE has passed. Scholarship notifications will be made public by mid-April 2026.
2027 Scholarship Information
2027 DEADLINE – 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, March 4, 2027
[NOTE: This is not a postmark deadline. Applications must be in ACMC’s office by deadline.]
Guidelines & Application for 2027 will be available by July 1, 2026.
(If you need to download Adobe Acrobat Reader, click here.)
Help support our future artists!
The Barnes-Travis Arts Scholarship Fund is a wonderful and convenient way to support the Arts Council of Moore County and the Moore County children interested in the arts. To learn more about the many gift-giving possibilities which will help support the growth of this fund, click here or call Ray Owen at 910-692-ARTS (2787). Scholarship gifts can be made payable and mailed to the Arts Council of Moore County, P.O. Box 405, Southern Pines, NC 28388.