Sophomore Summer Foreign Travel Award in Studio or Art History

The Sophomore Summer Foreign Travel Award in Studio or Art History, which carries an annual value of approximately $3,000, was established in 1986 by the late Dean of the College, Bradley R. Dewey. It is open to sophomores who have formally declared a major in art history or studio art.

The Sophomore Summer Foreign Travel Award in Studio or Art History is a competitive grant. Interested sophomore Art History or Studio Art majors must submit an application, with project proposal, to the department by 4:30 p.m., Monday, March 20, 2023 (the Monday classes resume after spring break), in order to be considered. Application materials should demonstrate a thoroughly considered plan (with the necessary background in foreign language and other disciplines to carry out the project).

Any carefully planned combination of study and educational travel outside the United States may meet the terms of the award. Past winners have taken a variety of summer courses appropriate to their interests, as well as traveling to various locations in Europe and as far as Egypt, working on archeology expeditions in Spain and Israel, taking a special summer program in art, or re-tracing the itinerary of an early twentieth century master of modern architecture.

Students are required to develop their applications in consultation with their Art/Art History advisor. Art advisors will help with project planning and can speak, in the department's award decision meeting, for the applicants with whom they've worked.

Application materials should include:

  1. A 1-page Summer Study/Travel Awards Application Cover Sheet (Art's version) — download the form here, complete it and submit to Interim Art and Art History Coordinator, Julie Gemmell (jgemmell@fandm.edu), via email.
  2. A 2-3 page statement presenting your reasons for undertaking the proposed plan, its academic and non-academic elements, the dates you would be abroad, and your expected itinerary.
  3. A budget, including all anticipated expenses (even if some would be paid for by sources - which should also be indicated - other than the award. Download the form here, complete and send to the Art coordinator with your application.

Art and Art History faculty will nominate one student after they have evaluated all applications. The award, however, is contingent upon faculty identifying a suitable candidate among the applicants (i.e. no suitable candidate = no award given). The award will be announced to the winner in early April.

After completion of his or her project, upon returning to school for fall semester, the recipient should submit a written report (2 pages, double spaced, with related images) to the department, and is  expected to give an oral presentation to any interested campus group. Some final information about the grant (i.e. "the fine print"): A winner on financial aid will normally receive in loans, for the next year, the sum that she/would have been expected to save from summer employment that she/he is not able to save because of being abroad. A winner should not expect to save money from the award.