Local chefs sponsor James Beard scholarship

BENTONVILLE -- The James Beard Foundation will offer its first High South Bentonville Scholarship this year.

There are more than 100 scholarships totaling about $700,000 available this year, according to Diane Brown, director of educational and community programming for the foundation.

Scholarship

The High South Bentonville Scholarship is available through the James Beard Scholarship Program. The program and application can be viewed online. Applications must be postmarked by May 15.

sms.scholarshipamer…

sms.scholarshipamer…

sms.scholarshipamer…

Source: Staff Report

"It's quite an impressive lineup," she said. "As far as I know, this is a first for Arkansas."

The High South Bentonville Scholarship is one of 34 unrestricted scholarships available, meaning it can be awarded to any student attending an accredited culinary school.

Preference will be given to applicants residing in or attending school in Arkansas, Brown said.

The scholarship will be for $3,750. The money was raised during the Friends of James Beard Benefit Dinner held in November. Chefs Matt McClure, Rob Nelson, Bill Lyle and Case Dighero hosted the event at The Hive in 21c Museum Hotel.

The event raised $7,500. Half went to the scholarship and the other half went toward the foundation's other educational programming, Brown said.

"It's like a reinvestment in Arkansas culinary," McClure, executive chef at The Hive, said about the scholarship. "The idea is (for the student) to go out and see the world, get that experience, then come back to Arkansas and help us make this a better place."

The scholarship application must be postmarked by May 15.

The James Beard Foundation Scholarship Program has awarded more than $4.6 million in financial aid to a variety of students since its inception in 1991, according to its website. Recipients have included recent high school graduates, working culinary professionals and those who have changed careers.

The scholarships awarded vary from year to year depending on the donors, the website states.

The James Beard Foundation's mission is "to celebrate, nurture and honor America's diverse culinary heritage with programs that educate and inspire," according to its website.

It also has mentorship and grant programs and other opportunities for those who work full time in the culinary industry, Brown said.

McClure said he and other Bentonville chefs are looking to put on an event similar to the Friends of James Beard Benefit Dinner again this fall. New restaurants are bringing new chefs into the area, and it's important they're involved, too, he said.

"It's important for the chefs in this community to organize and preach the same message about what we have going on here because I think it's super special," McClure said. "I think anyone who lives in the community would agree."

Having the partnership with the James Beard Foundation pushes local chefs to a higher level and encourages them to cultivate and maintain that level, he said.

It's important to the foundation for culinary arts to be respected as an art form and be shown the same kind of appreciation received by traditional art forms, such as painting, music and dancing, Brown said.

"That ties in so beautifully with what's going on in Bentonville with what's going on with the museum and all the many arts programs that are incubating there," she said. "That's why we're so pleased that attention is being paid to the culinary arts as well."

NW News on 04/26/2015

Upcoming Events