By Elise Mackanych
For over 70 years, the Concours d’Elegance has showcased the world’s most exquisite automobiles. Academy of Art University has a longstanding history of partnership and participation in the Monterey Car Week (August 9-18), and for the past 15 years, has attended the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, according to Wayne Barnes, curator of the Academy’s Automobile Museum. This relationship stems from the Academy’s close relationship with the Phil Hill family, thanks to the purchase of one of Hill’s restorations that won best in show at the competition in 1977.
Phil Hill, America’s first Formula One champion, had a superb eye for restoration. His shop produced multiple Concours d’Elegance-winning cars throughout the years. His legacy is honored through the Phil Hill Scholarship, which covers two years of tuition and is granted to students in industrial design and automobile restoration programs. Additionally, the winners are invited to the event, where their awards are presented, and they ghost judge during the competition on Sunday.
Two Academy School of Industrial Design (IND) students, Kelsy Avalos-Feehan and Milos Delic, were selected as this year’s 2024 Phil Hill Scholarship recipients. The scholarship announcement was made at the Patron’s dinner at Casa Palmero during Monterey Car Week.
IND Executive Director Tom Matano shared that the award is dedicated to students with a deep passion for automotive arts and that this grant allows them to take their work to the next step. “The Phil Hill Scholarship is a fantastic award for the students; it’s one of the largest awards they can win,” said Matano, who added that both students are passionate about automobiles in different ways.
“I’m so proud of our Phil Hill scholars,” said Academy of Art University President Dr. Elisa Stephens. “I’m looking forward to seeing how they continue to impact the future of automobile design.”
Meet the Phil Hill Scholarship Winners
Kelsy Avalos-Feehan
“Kelsy knows what it takes to restore a vehicle to the Concours level,” said IND Director Antonio Borja. “She represents the best of what this program has to offer.”
A second-year student in IND’s automotive restoration program, Avalos-Feehan decided to attend the Academy for its focus not only on the mechanical aspects of automobile restoration but also on the artistic aspect of design. “I’ve always loved vintage cars,” said Avalos-Feehan. “I always wanted to learn how to take apart cars and put them back together. To do the artistic part is wonderful; they are pieces of artwork. That’s why I chose this school.”
Growing up in Monterey and working in cafes at the Concours d’Elegance as a teen, receiving the Phil Hill Scholarship hit home for Avalos-Feehan. “It was so cool to go back after I’d worked there as a 15-year-old, to be there in a different capacity.”
Avalos-Feehan, who was working full-time in healthcare, applied for the scholarship with the hopes of enrolling in more classes at the Academy. Once the application was released, she pushed herself to complete her projects as she pulled together her portfolio. Her portfolio demonstrates her passion for working with her hands, showcasing projects of a restored racing Camaro, a reupholstered vintage car seat, and sculptures from her metal class.
When speaking with Avalos-Feehan, her passion for restoring automobiles and her love for learning are apparent. The only thing that was more apparent was her love for learning. As a newly minted recipient of the Phil Hill Scholarship, she is now enrolled full-time at the Academy, taking courses in automotive design to deepen and enhance her knowledge and passion for automobiles.
Milos Delic
Delic has always been into cars. He has attended car shows since he was young, drawing new designs and keeping an eye on the roads for something out of the ordinary to drive by.
When Delic first came to the Academy, he was focused on footwear. With the help of Matano and Borja, Delic gained the confidence and motivation to pursue transportation design fully. “Throughout my education journey [in transportation design], Tom and Antonio swayed me and convinced me that I fully understand what I’m doing,” explained Delic.
What began as doodling on homework as a child has now blossomed into a career highlighted by awards, participation in corporate projects, and the creation of revolutionary design.
According to Borja, Delic embodies what Phil Hill is all about: being able to master the craft and excel at a world-class level. After hearing about the Phil Hill Scholarship, Delic was eager to apply after he learned about Hill’s connection with the Academy. He just completed his undergraduate degree at the Academy, and winning this scholarship allows him now to pursue his master’s degree in transportation design.
This past spring, Delic collaborated with Lucid Motors to develop new automobile concepts in 2D. The collaboration carried over into the summer, where Delic and his partner, Rafael Ceron, used their blueprints to create the car in 5D. At Monterey Car Week, Delic and Ceron had the opportunity to present their work with Lucid Motors. Additionally, the students ran a booth where they gave away sketches, promoted the Lucid projects, and talked about programs offered through IND at the Academy.
Participating in the 2024 Concours d’Elegance
Both Avalos-Feehan and Delic have attended the Concours d’Elegance in previous years, but being able to participate in the event was an entirely different experience.
Delic shared that ghost judging that Sunday on the lawn was a special feeling. “It’s very humbling in that setting,” he said. “Everyone there is a wealth of knowledge.”
When Avalos-Feehan reflected on the event, she shared similar sentiments, “It was amazing. I’ve never experienced something like that before. It was dreamlike and surreal.”
For students interested in applying for the next Phil Hill scholarship, Delic advised, “Stay passionate about the things that excite you and lean into your passions. If you feel intuitively something stirs you up, go towards and pursue that.”
“Concentrate on the quality of your work—everything else takes care of itself,” added Borja. “You can control the quality of your work and what you put into it.”
The Academy regularly attends the Concours d’Elegance, and this year, one of its cars from the Academy’s Automobile Museum was invited to participate in the competition.
“To be invited there is just as valuable as having the best car,” said Barnes. This year, however, the Academy accomplished both, as their 1933 Chrysler CL Imperial Custom LeBaron Phaeton won First in Class in the American Classic Open.
According to the Concours d’Elegance website, the class winners are selected by the judges based on several factors, including “originality, authenticity, and excellent preservation or restoration.”
Featured photo: (L-R) student Rafael Ceron, School of Industrial Design Director Antonio Borja, Phil Hill Scholar Milos Delic, Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance Chairman Sandra Button, Phil Hill Scholar Kelsy Avalos-Feehan, Academy of Art University President Dr. Elisa Stephens, and School of Industrial Design Executive Director Tom Matano. Photo courtesy of the School of Industrial Design.