The Del Rendon Foundation reached its goal of raising over $25,000 to establish an art scholarship in the name of late musician and artist Del Rendon.
Rendon was a local artist and increasingly popular singer-songwriter. He was an art teacher at Starkville High School and served as the head of MSU’s Hazard Waste Compliance department at the time of his death in September 2005
The Foundation formed as a response to the love people felt for Rendon and as a memorial to his commitment to the arts. Community interest and donations have been high since the group’s formation.
The money raised goes toward a scholarship for a full-time MSU student pursuing a bachelors degree in Fine Arts within the school’s College of Architecture, Art and Design. The student must also be a Mississippi resident and demonstrate real financial need.
Extensive donations have already fulfilled the endowed portion of the scholarship, making it possible to reward a needy art student as early as fall 2006.
“The financial goal was met in just three months,” said Foundation member Andrew Rendon. “Now that we have done that, we are trying to increase the awareness of Del’s music and art.”
The public now has a new opportunity to learn more about Rendon’s art and to contribute more money to the Del Rendon Memorial Scholarship fund. Rendon’s artwork is on at display at the Sundial on Main Street from 6 p.m. – 9 p.m. tonight and will also appear at Saturday’s Cotton District Arts Festival.