The Langston Hughes Performing Arts Center (LHPAC) provides exactly those kind of opportunities in its summer teen musicals and other youth programs. But even a relatively low program fee can be too much for some families. So the LHPAC is spreading the word about scholarships offered by the Anthony Quinn Foundation. 

Created by the late actor and arts education advocate, the foundation's scholarships provide funding for pre-college, after-school and summer programs. Here's a glimpse of what the scholarship did for one of the 2011 winners, Megan Lee.

The competitive application process grants awards between $1000 and $3000. And no -- the money doesn't go to the student, it goes to the arts program to pay the kid's fees. Details:

WHO'S ELIGIBLE: High school students nominated by a teacher, advisor or non-related adult

FOR WHAT: Scholarships to study performing arts, visual arts and design, media arts or literary arts

BY WHEN: Application deadline is midnight on Tuesday, January 15, 2013

MORE INFO: Anthony Quinn Foundation Scholarships application form

If you'd like to nominate a student, you and the student have about three and a half weeks to pull the application together and submit it. Who knows? You might keep a kid from having to give up music lessons, like Niela Hampton had to -- twice. 

Imagine being a patron of the arts for the holidays. Wouldn't that be an awesome gift for you and your artist?