The following story originally appeared on the W&M Charles Center website. – Ed.

Dedicated to supporting student research across an expansive range of disciplines, the Charles Center at William & Mary is hosting a gallery exhibition celebrating last summer’s Catron scholars.

Free and open to the public, the exhibition is available in the Sadler Center Hart Gallery from Nov. 11 to 22.

Ten creatively inclined William & Mary undergraduates received the rare opportunity to freely explore their artistic interests in summer 2024 with support from the Louis E. Catron Grant for Artistic Development, which awards each student up to $5,000 to participate in an off-campus educational experience of their choosing related to creative or performing arts.

A special reception will be held 5-7 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 14, featuring brief presentations by the Catron scholars on their respective projects. Visitors are invited to cycle through the gallery to hear each presentation, facilitating an immersive and interactive atmosphere.

According to Charles Center Program and Events Coordinator Lauri Dabbieri, the Catron grant illuminates the more introspective, personal perspectives provided by uniquely arts-focused research pursuits. Such experiences can take place either domestically or internationally and typically involve in-depth engagement through professional instruction and hands-on exposure.

“It’s a misconception that research is only done by STEM students: The Catron grant  creates opportunities for the arts students to conduct research,” Dabbieri said. “Research is really an elastic term because it not only delves into creating new knowledge for the public, but also creating new knowledge for yourself.” 

The student researchers represent a diverse array of interests within the arts, including architecture, writing, film, graphic design, photography, painting and historical furniture design. Each used the financing provided by the Catron grant to pursue personal research avenues in their distinctive spheres of interest. 

Emmanuel Sampson ‘26, a philosophy and physics double major with a concentration in engineering physics and applied design, used a Catron grant to attend UCLA’s Film and Television Summer Institute, where he was a part of the Creative Producing Program. Through this program, Sampson benefited from a studio internship within a production company he had worked with previously as a freelance writer.  

Sampson also took classes that allowed him to directly engage with writers, directors, agents, producers, and other Hollywood employees through weekly celebrity career panels. Outside of class, he spent much of his time writing screenplays and scripts for his internship as well as getting involved with other projects to enhance his skills in areas such as acting, writing, directing, and cinematography.

“The film industry is not only one of the most collaborative work experiences I’ve ever had, but it’s also so permissive — allowing anyone with drive and talent to jump in and potentially rise to stardom. There are people from all walks of life who were there just trying to develop their craft,” said Sampson. “It makes me hopeful and a little more free to know that at any point in my life, I can pursue the arts.”

Multiple scholars used their grant toward an experience abroad. Madison Meyers ’24, an art major minoring in environment & sustainability, embarked on a backpacking pilgrimage along the French Route of the Camino de Santiago trail in Spain. Through photographic artistry, Meyers sought to capture the interconnectedness of nature and cultural tradition.

“The Catron scholarship gave me the opportunity to go abroad and explore some of the topics that I had been exploring the last couple of semesters in my photo and other art classes,” Meyers said. “I was interested in the way that art, ecology and people interact, and I wanted to push this connection with a more documentary-style photographic approach.”

The completion of this project had a profound influence on Meyers and meaningful impacts on her future.

“It allowed me to completely immerse myself in a learning experience that I know will follow me throughout my career as an artist as well as my life,” she explained.

Another student pursuing the arts internationally is Emily Larsen ’25, who studied painting and drawing in Rome, Italy, through the Rome Art Program. A double major in biology and studio art, Larsen’s involvement in the month-long intensive allowed her to advance her artistic skills and visions through professional mentorship, weekly critiques on art history, and excursions to Florence and various unique art galleries.

“With Rome as our classroom, we painted and drew in a different location every day. The faculty in the program were amazing and I was working with really inspiring art students that allowed me to make the most of my time in Italy,” said Larsen. “The program helped me develop confidence in myself as an artist and since the summer I can dive into pieces with less fear and more passion.”

Dabbieri believes that at a time when educational resources for research are often prioritized elsewhere, artistic experiences like those provided by the Catron Grant are more important than ever.

“Artists are really the unsung researchers out there. The arts and the humanities do not get enough recognition for their research,” she said. “We must make a concerted effort to showcase these students more explicitly. The Catron Grants serve as a very deliberate way of promoting research that doesn’t necessarily get its due.”

The application for the summer 2025 Louis E. Catron Grants for Artistic Development is open until March 3, 2025.