Caroline Harder Artist Scholarship

The Caroline Harder Artist Scholarship was created to honor the life and spirit of Carolyn G. (Grande) Harder (1943–2024), a devoted mother, teacher, art historian, and lifelong patron of the arts. With a degree in Art History from Elmira College, years spent teaching young students, and a long tenure as a docent at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, she believed deeply in the power of art to enrich lives and expand our minds. This prize supports emerging photographers whose work reflects her spirit: a devotion to art, a love of beauty, and a desire to explore how the visual language of art can connect us and inspire creativity.

The scholarship prize is $1,000 plus placement in the Atelier to further the recipient's artistic growth and a solo exhibition. The scholarship is open to emerging artists including students, recent graduates, and early-career photographers who are serious about photography and whose potential is emerging. Candidates can be currently enrolled in a photography degree program. There is no age limit, no residency requirements, and no application fee. This scholarship is not for well-established photographers. Receiving a Fulbright Scholarship or producing a published photo book would disqualify a candidate; self-publishing does not disqualify. Paid employees of the Griffin Museum or their immediate families, Griffin Museum board members and jurors' immediate families, and those immediate families of Griffin board members or jurors' paid employees are not eligible.

Submissions must be made through Café and include a brief biography and artistic CV (single PDF with both), a statement of artistic purpose/intent, a statement on the work supplied, and 10 flattened RGB JPGs (1200 pixels on the longest side) of photographs submitted in order numbered 1-10. The application period opens September 16, 2025 and closes October 31, 2025 at 11:59 PM Mountain Time. The awardee will be announced by January 1, 2026. Contact: [email protected]