Norwich — Norwich Free Academy’s 125-year-old Saturday Morning Children’s Art Classes begin Saturday with the first recipients of the new Ellis W. Ruley Scholarship set to begin 22 weeks of art classes.

This year, the first group of Ellis W. Ruley Scholars will participate in the 22-week program that culminates with a student art exhibition in the spring.

Twelve third-grade students — one from each of the eight Norwich Public Schools, one from the Integrated Day Charter School, and three from local Catholic schools — received scholarships through a grant from the Edward and Mary Lord Foundation.

Recipients for 2015-16 are: Laila Jane Papineau and Josiah Estriplet from Sacred Heart School; Keyra Huaman from Integrated Day Charter School; James Cruz Montoya from Samuel Huntington School; Cassidy Lattin from Thomas Mahan School; Aliza Van Haitsma and Abigail Limani from John Moriarty Magnet School; Aaron Rios and Paulina Grzelczak from John B. Stanton Network School; Jeancarlos Montalvo from Uncas Network School; Ayla Cho from Veterans Memorial School and Lynzie Otka from Wequonnoc Magnet School.

Scholarship students will wear T-shirts donated by Rachel Thayer of Rachie T's Artistic Solutions in Norwich, a 2006 art school alum.

“The teachers really took the time to help me develop my skills and put together my portfolio for college on such short notice, and I’m ecstatic to give back in any way I can,” Thayer said.

Norwich native and self-taught artist Ruley died in 1959 at age 77 of mysterious circumstances.

The art scholarship, sponsored by the St. Anthony Chapel Foundation, is part of a renewed effort in Norwich to recognize Ruley's life, artwork and the circumstances of his death.

Documentary filmmaker Glenn Palmedo-Smith, author of the 1993 book "Discovering Ellis Ruley," is working on a PBS documentary on the artist to be released in 2016.

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