Catron Exhibition Celebrates Student Research, Artistic Development
Dedicated to supporting student research across an expansive range of disciplines, the Charles Center hosted a lively evening reception and program for this year’s Catron scholars in Sadler Center’s Hart Gallery Nov. 14.
More than 65 faculty, staff, students, and family members attended the immersive and interactive event, in which Catron scholars shared stories, discoveries, and creations from experiences last summer dedicated to exploring their artistic interests.
Ten creatively inclined William & Mary undergraduate students received support from the Louis E. Catron Grant for Artistic Development, which awards each student up to $5000 to participate in an off-campus educational experience of their choosing related to creative or performing arts.
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 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.”
This year’s 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 financial support provided by the Catron Grant to pursue personal research avenues in their distinctive spheres of interest.
Greta Frederick Harteis ’25, a double major in Psychology and Art, spent the month of July attending the University of Illinois Chicago’s YArch Program for undergraduate students interested in architecture and design. During her presentation, Harteis described her creative model for a summer house designed around the beauty of nature.
“This house is all about exploring the wonders that nature has to offer,” she explained. “Staying here would mean that you’re never more than an arm’s length away from the water.”
According to Harteis, this unique opportunity was unforgettable.
“Spending the summer in Chicago was truly an electric experience for me, and I will cherish it forever,” she said.
Emmanuel Sampson ’26, a philosophy and physics double major with a concentration in engineering physics and applied design, used the Catron Grant to attend University of California Los Angeles’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 with 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.”
Meyers’ photographs from the pilgrimage adorned the walls of the Hart Gallery during her presentation for visitors to view. The installation also included a set of clothing worn by a friend she met on the trail which Meyers pressed with flowers, along with a plant-filled set of shoes to symbolize growth.
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. For more information and to apply, click here.
Interested in attending the Catron reception and student presentations? Click here for the program!
