PORTLAND — The Pearl Starbird Fund of the Maine Community Foundation has awarded $59,000 in scholarships to 20 students, all graduates of Oxford County high schools or Lake Region High School. They will receive financial support for their education in the arts, including music.

First-time scholarship recipients are Owen Conforte of Lovell, Molly Keane of Bethel and Chelsea Nee of Naples.

Renewal scholarships were awarded to Tyler Arnold, Yasmin Azel and Sarah Sawin of Lovell; Arika Baker of Oxford; Amanda Blake of Casco; Corinne Cahill of Denmark; Marian Hotopp of Bethel; Thomas Dowling, Ashley Iwans and Megan Littlewood of Norway; Katharine MacGregor of Andover; Grace Makley of West Paris; Nolan Mercer of Naples; Brandon Pike of Waterford; Daniel Rounds of Bridgton; Jessica Smith of Waterford; and Aaron Tripp of Center Lovell.

The recipients’ programs of study include music performance, studio art, digital arts and design, sculpture, fashion design, illustration, photography and film and video production.

The application deadline for the 2011 Pearl Starbird Scholarship is April 15, 2011. Applications will be available in January through high school guidance offices and at www.mainecf.org.

Pearl Starbird is an accomplished artist and musician who taught in the Boston schools and retired to Waterford. She established the scholarship to encourage students who share her passion to pursue their education in these fields. The fund provides renewable scholarship support to graduates of any Oxford County high school or Lake Region High School in Naples to pursue college-level education in the arts.

A statewide organization with offices in Ellsworth and Portland, the Maine Community Foundation partners with donors and educators to provide Maine students with access to educational opportunities. The organization manages more than 400 scholarship funds.