Amy Covey Scholarship
The Covey family, along with family and friends, endowed a scholarship to be awarded annually to a first year photography student at the Brooks Institute, where Amy was studying photography at the time of her death. The scholarship was awarded to a student who demonstrates an extraordinary work ethic and passion for photography, and also dedicates time to helping others, either fellow classmates or others within the community.
Brooks Institute was sold in 2015 and the new owners closed the Photography school in Santa Barbara in 2016. Desiring to continue the endowed Amy Covey Scholarship, the Covey family worked with the College Education Scholarship Foundation (which held the endowed funds) to find a suitable alternative undergraduate program to support with a scholarship. An agreeable resolution resulted in the endowed funds, along with additional CESF scholarship funds designated for Brooks Institute, combined and transferred to the California Institute of Arts (CalArts) to support an annual scholarship to an undergraduate in the School of Photography. The new scholarship will honor not only Amy Covey, but also the Brooks Institute, and be known as the Covey/Brooks Scholarship.
The first award was made in the fall of 2019 to August “Auggie” Grahn.
Past Scholarship Winners
2019: August Grahn
August Grahn is an artist from Oakland, California. Working across multiple disciplines, but primarily photographically, Grahn’s work examines loss. Employing humor as a tool, his work attempts to create levity around life’s more painful experiences.
Sara is a presently a photographer based out of New York City specializing in beauty and editorial fashion photography.
A California native, Sara completed her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Brooks Institute, graduating Magna Cum Laude. Sarah works in communications for a healthcare company, producing a variety of visual imagery – film, photography and graphic work. She is also a freelance photographer.
Kathleen Peachey is a photographer based in Colorado. She photographs children, families, newborns and weddings, and works with her clients to document both the momentous and the small occasions that make up a life. She finds beauty in it all.
Matthew Perko is visual artist with nearly twenty years experience creating photography, video and design for print and web. He has worked as a freelancer with numerous brands and has also worked as an in-house creative, focusing in and developing one brand. Today, Matthew runs a freelance photography and design business and also work for UC Santa Barbara in their Public Affairs and Communications office. He lives in Santa Barbara with his wife and son.
Erin Feinblatt is a California-native who worked as a wildlife biologist prior to graduating from Brooks Institute of Photography. Now, Erin merges his acute observational skills with technical proficiency to produce images that are genuine and timeless. Erin specializes in lifestyle and architectural photography and videography for commercial and advertising clients worldwide.
A classmate and friend of Amy’s, Rodrigo was the first scholarship recipient in 2009. Rodrigo now has a still photography and video firm, Turner Palma, with his former Brooks Institute classmate Jordie Turner. Turner Palma is a creative duo specialized in still photography and video, working out of Los Angeles, New York, Mexico City and Stockholm. Their work today is focused on making compelling and moving images for clients like Marie Claire Mexico, Maxim, Creem NY, Leica S Magazine, and others.
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