Donor Stories

Gwendolyn MarinosGwendolyn Marinos

In 2005, Gwendolyn Marinos, a friend and champion of KCAI, set up a scholarship in honor of her aunt, Elise Hoelzel. Hoelzel was born in 1897 in Kansas City, Mo., and displayed an artistic talent at a young age. As a student at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in Philadelphia, she was awarded the Cresson European Travel Scholarship and spent time studying art in Europe. After studying abroad, she came back to Kansas City and helped teach a master's program alongside Thomas Hart Benton at KCAI. Read More