It’s normal to receive presents on a birthday, but the Bermuda Society of Arts (BSOA) is doing the reverse this year.To celebrate it’s sixtieth anniversary, the BSOA, not only gave their annual $5,000 bursary to a promising art student, but added a $5,000 Diamond Jubilee award for a second promising student.Charnisha Smith, 28, was awarded the 2013 BSOA Bursary Award, and the Diamond Jubilee recipient was Kayla Jackson, 24.Miss Smith, 28, always wanted to study interior design, but had to delay this dream so she could earn enough money to pay for college.“I was working in corporate business,” she said. “When I graduated from the Bermuda College I wasn’t able to go straight to school.“I had to work and save money first. I gained a lot of interpersonal skills in the corporate world, but I realised that I really needed to be in a creative field.”She is currently in school in London at the American Intercontinental University working on her Bachelor of Honours degree in interior design and interior architecture.Miss Jackson is studying illustration at Sheridan College in Oakville, Ontario, Canada.“I really wanted to go into animation when I was younger, but I found that part of the work that I liked to focus on was the illustration steps,” said Miss Jackson.She admired local illustrators such as Peter Woolcock and Sharon Wilson.“Sharon Wilson actually taught me when I was younger,” she said.Her goal is to finish her degree and then become an illustrator in some large urban centre in the United States, Canada or the United Kingdom.Once her reputation is established, she hopes to return to Bermuda to work.“Because of the internet you can live wherever you want,” she said. “I am hoping to work on a children’s book in Bermuda, one day. I would like to write and illustrate it.”She was thrilled to receive the bursary from the BSOA.“I have helped at the BSOA, but they have always had a lot of really good young artists applying for the bursary, so I was surprised,” she said.Interior Designer, Miss Smith’s goal is to get an internship in London, work there to gain experience, and then come back to Bermuda.“I want to become one of Bermuda’s top designers,” she said.Bermuda’s beautiful buildings and architectural tradition initially drew her to interior design.“I love matching contemporary design with traditional Bermuda architecture,” she said.Thirteen aspiring artists applied for the bursary by submitting portfolios of their work.Six candidates were shortlisted for interview by members of the BSOA’s bursary selection committee that included Barbara O’Shaughnessy, Ami Zanders and former BSOA co-president Dr Edwin Smith.“We were so impressed with the high quality of the submissions, that we had a very hard time deciding on the winner,” said Ms O’Shaughnessy, “it was decided that we would give the first runner-up, Kenneth Gardner a free solo show of his work at the Bermuda Society of Arts to showcase his outstanding portfolio.”The three runners-up were Miles Dill, Kageaki Smith and Rhea Gibbons.Their work will be on display in the BSOA Emerging Artists Show, opening August 9 from 5 to 7pm.“The BSOA is the Island’s oldest arts organisation, celebrating 60 years this year,” said Lesley Rego, Gallery Director. “It is hoped that through generous sponsorship the society will be able to continue awarding this annual bursary, and perhaps increase the amount.”