Leslie Elsasser, an artist who paints miniatures, traveled to our neck of the woods to talk about her exhibition at STC. Unfortunately, the exhibit has ended, but if you want to read a review of this wonderful exhibit, check out Nancy Moyer’s review in The Monitor. I want to talk about something else.
In the promotional materials for her presentation, she was referred to as a Fulbright Fellow and, she referred to her Fulbright experience in her talk. Something she said about it made me want to pass on a little more information about Fulbright Scholarships. She said that a new experience inspired dramatic change in her life. It is a generally held belief that travel can enrich our lives immeasurably. Travel writer Rick Steves says:
“Ideally, travel broadens our perspectives personally, culturally, and politically. Suddenly, the palette with which we paint the story of our lives has more colors.”
Receiving a Fulbright Scholarship gave Elsasser the opportunity to spend two years studying miniature painting and traveling in India. Her research lead to the work she completed for her Master of Fine Arts thesis. For Elsasser, her experiences “provide a rich source of inspiration and reference for her ongoing artwork.” I had a similar experience. I received a Fulbright Scholarship, and spent a year (1995-96) conducting research at the Danish Design School in Copenhagen, Denmark. The research I conducted also lead to the completion of an MFA at Arizona State University. A profoundly moving experience during other travels lead to an inspired work of art that won the top graduate student prize in the School of Art in 1999. The award? Money for more travel!!
So, we are two people who had our lives changed dramatically by taking advantage of a Fulbright grant. But, how did we know about this grant? I would never have known about these scholarships if I had not attended a lecture by a professor from the University of Arizona. Elsasser says that she became aware of the scholarship while she was searching for grants. I might have bypassed looking at the Fulbright, because I was under the impression that they were only for professors. However, that is not the case. Fulbright offers competitive, merit-based grants for students, scholars, teachers, professionals and groups. They also vary in the length of time you spend in the country. You can get all the details by going to the following website:
http://fulbright.state.gov/about/frequently-asked-questions#faq1
Embroidery Series
Ana (Argentina)
embroidery by Manju Ben
thread, mirrors and screen printing on cotton cloth
16 x 20 inches
Women In Miniature Series
Devi
handmade pigments, gouache and 14k gold on handmade paper
“Life is an unfoldment, and the further we travel the more truth we can comprehend.”
--Hypatia