Ira Osu - aka - Blacastan - The Artist

Ira Osu Scholarship - Art, Dance, Music & Writing

Background

Ira Lester, of East Hartford, passed away unexpectedly in February 2022 at the young age of 41. Ira was a Hartford native and attended Hartford Public Schools. Although trained as a graphic artist, Ira had a passion for sales. He started his career in the auto industry at Lia Hyundai where we worked for more than 15 years. However, a self-taught artist, Ira was amazing at drawing and was natural rapper. His state name, “Blacastan”, was well-known domestically and internationally. He was a producer of Underground Hip Hop and had a huge following on Facebook and Instagram. Everything Ira did was art and everyone he touched he made better. Ira saw life differently and his vision was profound. He once commented that his creativity was so vivid and complex that what he saw in his mind he could only express 5% percent of it in a picture.

Scholarship Focus

The Ira Osu Scholarship will be granted to a student, of West Indian heritage, who is creative and wishes to pursue a career in art, dance, music or writing through education.

 Amount: $500 each year

Eligibility Requirements

  • Applicant must be a college sophomore or junior.

  • Applicant must have cumulative G.P.A of 2.5 or greater on a 4-point scale.

  • Applicant’s focus of study should be art, dance, music, or creative writing.

  • Evidence of community service engagement and leadership in education.

Application Requirements

A complete application packet must include the following:

  1. One (1) letter of recommendation, one letter written by an academic advisor or professor who is able to speak to the applicant’s creative talents.

  2. A current college transcript.

  3. A 300-word essay responding to the question, “Why do I wish to pursue a career in the arts, dance, music or writing.

  4. A resume that details creative arts experiences, community service, employment and extracurricular activities.

Applications must be submitted by March 31st of each year to be considered.