AKA NYC | SVA Scholarship

Christina Spiro

Christina completed her undergraduate degree in Photography at the School of Visual Arts. She received her associate degree in Fine Arts at Bucks County Community College where she discovered her passion for photography while taking a classic film course. She is inspired by the culture that surrounds us and influences our current generation, and is currently exploring the meaning of art and fashion by blurring the line between those two categories in her imagery.

Ana Espinal

Ana has a BFA in Photography. She was born and raised in the Dominican Republic, and moved with her family to New York City as a teenager. Having loved photography since her childhood, she began formally studying photography after moving to the U.S. Her current work explores the intersection of femininity, fashion and the grotesque.

Danielle Paris

Danielle Paris is currently a 2nd-year Photography & Video major at the School of Visual Arts. Coming from a small town in Ohio, she is chasing her dream of becoming a professional photographer in the Big Apple. She is enthusiastic about all forms of photography, from commercial to fine art, and isn’t afraid to get out of her comfort zone.

Danielle Staif

After being released from the Israeli Navy, Danielle has traveled extensively throughout the world. In 2012 she moved to NYC in order to achieve her BFA in Photography at the School of Visual Arts. Her work has evolved from travel into documentary and street photography, always with an interest in culture, people and the human condition.

Joeun Lee

Joeun is currently a 2nd-year student in the BFA Photography program at the School of Visual Arts. She was born in South Korea, but lived in Kuwait for 13 years, and would like to think that that experience has broadened her perspective towards the world and people. She enjoys translating her thoughts into images.

Jose Espaillat

Jose was born and raised in the Dominican Republic. He moved to NYC in 2012 and started taking photos in the summer of 2013. Following his dream, he began studies at the School of Visual Arts for a BFA in Photography. In his short career, Jose’s work has been featured online, as well as in print in several independent magazines. Selected editorials include Kaltblut, Elegant Magazine, GlassBook, The Dapifer, among others.

Alexander Cassetti

Alexander is a photographer from the Fingerlakes region of New York State. He is currently earning a BFA in Photography at the School of Visual Arts in New York City. He is inspired by modern architecture and black and white street photography. His most recent work is a series of portraits and abstraction.

Katelyn Kopenhaver

Being transfixed by black and white photography of her childhood dog was all it took for Katelyn to want a career in photography. She is currently a New York City-based artist with a motto of taking risks and pushing the boundaries of the image, consuming joy in everyday life, and striving for boundless dreams.

Marta Monko

Growing up in Poland, Marta spent her youth horseback riding on Arabian horses and eating the sweetest strawberries on earth from her family garden. From an early age, she was exposed to good jazz and theater that she watched with her father on a small black and white TV set. Journalism was her initial pursuit, but when she tried a film camera, she knew that that was her tool for life. Marta is addicted to Bergman and Polanski.

We are excited to share our fourth annual scholarship awards program in conjunction with the School of Visual Arts BFA Photography Department. This scholarship program showcases the work of twelve SVA students: we chose one grand prize winner and eleven runners up from submissions of original artwork incorporating a Broadway theme. These students will receive scholarships and support for their education and the advancement of their career. AKA takes a lot of pride in fostering up-and-coming artists.