Support Contemporary Art and Theater
Opportunities
Program Support | Scholarships
Program Support
Contemporary Art and Theater General Fund: Gifts to the Department of Contemporary Art and Theater General Fund help subsidize learning experiences that take place outside of the classroom, offset the cost of student travel to conferences and symposiums, provide professional development for faculty, and much more.
Dow Benedict and Rhonda Smith Endowment for Art and Theater: Designated as program support for the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences at Shepherd University. This endowment was established in 2020 by two retired faculty members: Dow Benedict, former dean of the School of Arts and Humanities, and Rhonda Smith, former chair of the Department of Contemporary Art and Theater.
Sara Chroussis Memorial Art Fund: Designated as program support for the Shepherd University art department. This endowment was created in 2007 after the passing of Sara Chroussis, a senior art student at Shepherd. Proceeds from annual student art sales go toward this fund.
Ed Herendeen Fund for Contemporary Theater: Designated as program support for the Contemporary American Theater Festival. Previously named for the CATF, this endowed fund was renamed in honor of Ed Herendeen, founder and artistic director of Shepherd’s theater program.
Louise Shimp Memorial Faculty Excellence Endowment Fund for Art: Designated for the recruitment, recognition, and retention of outstanding faculty in the arts. This endowment was established by the Oates family in memory of M. Louise Shimp ’55.
Scholarships
Catherine Ocheltree and Kenneth Miller Saunders Memorial Scholarship: For students majoring in art education, this endowed fund was created by Lawrence Saunders in memory of his mother, Catherine “Betty” Ocheltree, who was an artist and teacher.
Joanna D. de B. Blundell Memorial Scholarship: For art majors, this scholarship was established by Dr. and Mrs. George de B. Blundell in memory of their youngest daughter. Joanna was recognized for her original dress designs and costumes, as well as her wall hangings.
Scott Davis Memorial Scholarship: For full-time art education students, this endowed fund was established by Jeannette Bryant in memory of her brother. Scott taught art and history in the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico before returning stateside to work at Mount St. Mary’s.
McMillan Family Scholarship for Theater: For students majoring in theater, this award was originally established as the Jefferson Distributing Company Scholarship. The McMillans later endowed the funds in 2004.
Minerva Pritchard Bancroft Memorial Prize in Theater: This prize is awarded to the female student exhibiting the best overall annual acting achievement as judged by the theater department. This endowment was established in 1991 by Jean C. Neely to honor her friend’s memory.
Jeffrey Miller Memorial Scholarship: Designated for non-traditional students majoring in graphic design, this endowed fund was created in memory of Jeffrey Miller, who graduated Magna Cum Laude from Shepherd University in 1997 at the age of 38 with a degree in graphic design. This fund was established upon his passing in 2002.