Four Years in Focus
Senior Ryan Doty reflects on his time at Washington and Lee and the experiences he’ll carry with him into his next chapter.
Art Archive (140 Stories)
W&L’s Celeste Álvarez ’26 Selected for Fulbright to Guatemala
Álvarez looks forward to immersing herself in a different culture with the Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship and will attend W&L Law when she returns, with plans to become an immigration lawyer.
W&L’s Staniar Gallery Presents ‘This Earthen Door’ and ‘The Blue of Distance’
The combined exhibition, featuring the work of artists Amanda Marchand and Leah Sobsey, will open April 27, with an artist’s talk by Sobsey slated for May 13.
Meet Elka Prechel ’26
Prechel chose W&L for its high-level academics and the culture of the women's basketball program.
W&L to Host “Slices of Research” Program at Salerno Wood Fired Pizza & Taphouse
Newly promoted faculty members will present their research in a PechaKucha format on April 14.
W&L’s Staniar Gallery Presents ‘Undercurrents’
The senior thesis exhibition will be on view from March 23 through April 10.
W&L’s Glynn Family Professor to Give Public Lecture
Adriana Greci Green’s March 31 talk will focus on Native regalia represented in Western American art.
Isaac James ’27 Awarded VMFA Fellowship
The junior studio art and mathematics double major was one of five undergraduate students statewide to receive a $4,000 fellowship award.
Mudd Lecture Series to Explore Conservation Practice of Rewilding
The day-long symposium will take place on Feb. 12 and feature talks by faculty and community members.
Wendy Castenell Co-edits Volume of the Nineteenth Century Studies Journal
The special volume explores ideas of race during the 19th century.
W&L’s Staniar Gallery Presents Emma Steinkraus’ ‘Pas de Deux’
The solo exhibition will open Feb. 16, with an artist’s talk on March 5.
W&L Exchange: A Campus Resource for Sustainable Sharing
The Exchange connects the university community with free supplies while reducing waste.
Career Connections
The W&L network is perhaps most illustrative in the early-career assistance and opportunities our alumni provide to current students.
Linh Ngo ’26 Earns David G. Elmes Pathfinder Prize in Psychology
The Elmes Pathfinder Prize recognizes a student who has shown extraordinary promise in psychological science through outstanding scholarship in basic or applied psychology.
Adriana Greci Green to Serve as Glynn Family Professor at W&L
The former curator of Indigenous Arts of the Americas at the Fralin Museum of Art at the University of Virginia will serve a teaching and curatorial residency during Winter Term 2026.
Art Museum and Galleries at W&L: Winter 2026 Programs and Exhibitions
Explore exhibitions and collections at the Art Museum and Galleries with select programming through May.
W&L’s Staniar Gallery Presents Joey Fauerso’s ‘In a Classroom’
The solo exhibition will open Jan. 8, 2026, with an artist’s talk slated for Jan. 13.
Meet Ella Moser ’26
A Spring Term Abroad class in Spain connected Moser with a piece of home.
Alyce Mahon to Deliver Annual Pamela H. Simpson Lecture
Mahon will discuss the lived and created landscapes of American Surrealist Dorothea Tanning in her Nov. 4 lecture.
Laura Jane Ramsburg Selected as Director of the Staniar Gallery
The experienced arts administrator joins Washington and Lee from Hollins University’s Eleanor D. Wilson Museum.
The Lenfest Center Presents ‘Table Talks at Kamen Gallery: Art, Insight & Lunch’
The interactive experience will be in Kamen Gallery at noon on Oct. 14 and is a part of the Lenfest Center’s Outreach & Engagement Series.
Christa Bowden’s Artwork Earns an Honorable Mention Citation at the SlowExposures Photography Festival
The professor of art was one of 47 photographers to display her work in the event’s main exhibit.
Elliott King Featured in AMC+ Series ‘True Crime Story: Smugshot’
The professor of art was interviewed for an episode titled “The Dali Heist.”
W&L Presents Screening of Craig Quintero’s Expanded Reality Films
The films will be screened Sept. 25-26 in the IQ Center, followed by an artist’s talk.
Meaghan M. Walsh Publishes Article and Authors Book Chapter
The curatorial fellow explores race in New York City through the artwork of George Luks.
W&L Museums Curatorial Fellow Receives Scholarship from The Decorative Arts Trust
Fosca Maddaloni-Yu will utilize the scholarship to participate in the trust’s study abroad trip to Japan.
W&L’s Staniar Gallery Presents ‘Locating the Law: Places of German Constitutional History’
The photography exhibition will run from Sept. 4 through Oct. 31, with a panel discussion on Oct. 22.
Art History Professor Authors Book Chapter
Andrea Lepage examines how academic galleries can serve as transformative learning spaces.
Art Museum and Galleries at W&L: Fall 2025 Programs and Exhibitions
This academic year’s lineup of exhibits and events will explore the theme of “Materiality & Transformation.”
W&L’s Staniar Gallery Presents Minjeong An’s ‘Private Pictograph’
The solo exhibition will run from Sept. 4 through Oct. 17 and kicks off the gallery’s fall season.
Elliott King to Deliver Lecture at the Virginia Museum of the Fine Arts
The professor of art history will host a talk that reconsiders artist Frida Kahlo’s relationship with surrealism.
Art History Professor Named to Editorial Board for Digital Publishing Initiative
Andrea Lepage will assist in developing a series of essays focused on Latinx artists.
Remarkable Women
At the 2025 undergraduate Commencement, Barbara Jenkins ’92L, Kate Jenkins Howard ’99 and Kylie Therrien ’25 became the first female triple generation legacy at Washington and Lee University.
Melissa Kerin Quoted in ProPublica Article
The professor of art history and director of the Mudd Center for Ethics offered her opinion on the nuances of the return of a Buddha sculpture by the Art Institute of Chicago to the Government of Nepal.
W&L’s Staniar Gallery Presents ‘Hugo Crosthwaite: Tijuacolor’
The exhibition will feature a live mural performance from April 28 to May 10, with an artist’s talk slated for May 12.
W&L’s Staniar Gallery Presents ‘Conceptual Boundaries’
The senior thesis exhibition will be on view from March 24 through April 11.
Positivity Meets Personal Connections
Mariam Drammeh ’25 has approached research, internships and campus involvement with an eye toward a future rooted in service to others.
Sandy de Lissovoy is the Next Speaker in the Anne and Edgar Basse Jr. Author Talk Series
De Lissovoy will deliver a lecture on “Unpacking an Art Exhibit and Thinking Like Collage” on Jan. 27.
W&L to Host ‘Slices of Research’ Program at Salerno Wood Fired Pizza & Taphouse
Newly promoted faculty members will present their research in a PechaKucha format on Jan. 28.
Museums at W&L: Winter 2025 Programs and Exhibitions
The Museums at W&L invite the public to explore its exhibitions and collections with select programming through May.
Twelve W&L Students Awarded Gilman Scholarships to Study Abroad
The Gilman Scholarship Program offers awards of up to $5,000 to U.S. undergraduate students who are Pell Grant recipients.
Florence As It Was Chosen for National Competition
The interdisciplinary research project has been selected to participate in an open competition among medieval digital humanities projects for K-12 students.
Musician and Scholar Tammy Kernodle to Deliver Lecture at W&L
Kernodle’s Nov. 15 lecture is supported by W&L’s Phi Beta Kappa chapter.
Elliott King Presents Paper at Conference at The Peggy Guggenheim Museum in Venice
The W&L professor of art history attends conference exploring and celebrating Surrealism in Italy.
‘W&L After Class’ Podcast Releases New Episode Featuring Melissa Kerin
In this month’s episode, Kerin, professor of art history, discusses how following her curiosity of the ways in which people tell stories opened her to opportunities to study remote Buddhist shrines in the Himalayas and examine how we live and die as the director of the Roger Mudd Center for Ethics.
The Museums at W&L Present Emma Steinkraus’ ‘Impossible Garden: Dusk & Dawn’
The exhibition, on view starting Oct. 2, celebrates women artists in overlooked genres.
Inspiring Minds
George Bent, Sidney Gause Childress Professor in the Arts, has spent his career at W&L inspiring and being inspired by his students.
‘A Night of Miigis Moments’ Brings Indigenous-Led Performance To W&L
The Oct. 8 event is presented by Red Sky Performance and is part of the Lenfest Center’s Outreach & Engagement Series.
Indigenous Artist Sandra Laronde to Deliver Lenfest Center Series Keynote Address at W&L
An authentic Indigenous dinner will accompany Laronde’s talk on Oct. 7 and is part of the Lenfest Center’s Outreach & Engagement Series.
The Lenfest Center Presents an Evening of Poetry Reading with Rena Priest
Washington’s first indigenous State Poet Laureate will deliver a reading on Oct. 1 as part of the Lenfest Center’s Outreach & Engagement Series.
The Lenfest Center Presents ‘Native American Peoples and Lands: Historic Connections to W&L’
The public talk will take place in Kamen Gallery on Sept. 27 and is part of the Lenfest Center’s Outreach & Engagement Series.
The Terra Foundation for American Art Awards Museums at W&L a $50,000 Grant
The funds will support ‘Stephanie Shih: LONG TIME NO SEE (好久不見),’ an exhibition born out of the 2023 inaugural Artist-in-Residence program.
Museums at W&L: Fall 2024 Programs and Exhibitions
This academic year’s lineup of exhibits and events will highlight the university’s Reeves Museum of Ceramics and the Watson Galleries.
Reconstructing the Past
Summer Research Scholars are spending their summer helping to bring one of the world's oldest cities to life through modern technology.
Elliott King Cited on NPR’s ‘All Things Considered’ Program
The popular afternoon-drive radio segment referenced the Salvador Dalí expert’s impressions on the AI-generated Dalí voice at the Dalí Museum in St. Petersburg, Florida.
Roots Pilgrimage
Ryan Doty’s summer passion project explored his family lineage through poetry and photography.
Making Space
Cole Gershkovich ’24 found his purpose studying spaces that foster belonging and empowerment among individuals with mental health challenges.
Project Consortium Awarded a National Endowment for the Humanities Grant
The W&L portion of the consortium will use the funding to support the ongoing digital humanities project ‘Florence As It Was.’
Meet Walker McKnight ’24
McKnight is proud to be graduating 101 years after her great-grandfather, who started their family’s legacy at W&L.
W&L Alumnus Benji Hess ’23 Earns U.S. Teaching Assistantship to Austria
Hess will teach English in Austria and prepare for a career as an educator.
W&L Professor Quoted in NPR Article on Salvador Dalí
Elliott King offered his expertise on the authenticity of an AI-generated Dalí voice used for an exhibit at the Dalí Museum in St. Petersburg, Florida.
Meet Diwesh Kumar ’24
Mathematics and economics major Kumar says an art history class opened up new avenues of learning.
Jordan Peimer Selected as Next Lenfest Center Director
The former executive director of ArtPower at the University of California, San Diego will begin his new role in July.
W&L’s Staniar Gallery Presents “Transformations”
The senior thesis exhibition will be on view April 1-12.
Meet a Colleague: George Bent
George Bent is the Sidney Gause Childress Professor of Art History.
W&L’s Staniar Gallery Presents “Florence As It Was”
The interactive exhibition will run from Feb. 13 through March 25.
W&L’s Staniar Gallery Presents Rare Salvador Dalí Collection
‘Salvador Dalí: Les Chants de Maldoror’ features original etchings from the surrealist and will run from Jan. 11 through Feb. 8.
Six W&L Students Awarded Gilman Scholarships to Study Abroad
The Gilman Scholarship Program offers awards of up to $5,000 to U.S. undergraduate students who are Pell Grant recipients.
Melissa R. Kerin Selected as Next Director of the Mudd Center for Ethics
The associate professor of art history will serve as the Mudd Center Director for three years beginning July 1, 2024.
An Empathetic Writer
After graduating with a double degree in English and studio art, Gabriela Gomez-Misserian ’21 took her talents to Garden & Gun Magazine.
Cole Gershkovich ’24 Earns David G. Elmes Pathfinder Prize in Psychology
The Elmes Pathfinder Prize recognizes a student who has shown extraordinary promise in psychological science through outstanding scholarship in basic or applied psychology.
John K. Delaney to Deliver Annual Pamela H. Simpson Lecture
Delaney will discuss the scientific imaging of paintings in his Oct. 30 lecture.
Thierry Greub to Deliver Lecture on Cy Twombly’s Artwork
Greub will explore physical and emotional responses to Twombly’s works in his Oct. 16 lecture in Northen Auditorium.
W&L Students Curate Fall Art Exhibition
“Mohammad Omer Khalil: Musings,” co-curated by four Washington and Lee students as part of a seminar course in museum studies, will be on display in the Watson Galleries Sept. 28, 2023 through June 1, 2024.
W&L Art Professor Completes VCCA Fellowship
Sandy de Lissovoy was one of 22 fellows to participate in the prestigious residency program at Mt. San Angelo.
The DeLaney Center to Present Opening DeLaney Dialogue Discussion for the 2023-24 Academic Year
Professor Wendy Castenell kicks off the series on Sept. 19 at noon in Leyburn Library.
Josh Caraballo ’25 Receives National Accounting Scholarship
Caraballo is one of 369 students from across the U.S. to receive the merit scholarship from the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board.
Museums at W&L: Fall 2023 Programs and Exhibitions
The Museums at W&L invite the public to their opening reception for “Musings” on Sept. 28 at 6:30 p.m.
W&L’s Staniar Gallery Presents ‘Mary Mattingly: Proposals’
The solo exhibition will run from Sept. 4 through Oct. 25 and kicks off the gallery’s fall season.
George Bent’s “Florence As It Was” Project Featured in Case Study and Documentary
Leica Geosystems followed Bent and his team of W&L students on a day spent mapping the city of Florence.
W&L Outcomes: Ellie Penner ’23
Ellie Penner ’23 received a Boren Scholarship to study Hindi in India.
Catching up with Laura Lemon ’16
W&L’s campus culture — from small classes to the Speaking Tradition — gave Lemon the communication skills and confidence to succeed.
Collection Connections
Washington and Lee’s Museum Artist-in-Residence Program welcomed photographer Stephanie Shih to campus in May to create new work based on the Museums’ art collection.
W&L Art Professor to be Featured in Solo Exhibition in New York City
Emma Steinkraus’ exhibition “Princess Botticelli” opens June 29 at the 1969 Gallery in Tribeca
Washington and Lee University Receives Grant from the Samuel H. Kress Foundation
All funds will support W&L students with Professor George Bent’s digital humanities project “Florence As It Was.”
W&L’s Ava Boussy ’23 Awarded Fulbright to India
Boussy has been awarded a Fulbright-Nehru research grant to study Buddhist shrines and temples in India.
A Pair of W&L Professors Awarded Grants by the National Endowment for the Humanities
Melissa Kerin and Barton Myers will each receive $6,000 to support their research projects.
Opening Minds Through Art
W&L neuroscience students recently partnered with an innovative art-making program offered at Kendal at Lexington.
New Exhibition Celebrates Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month
“OPEN FLOWERS BEAR FRUIT” opens May 1 in the McCarthy Gallery in Holekamp Hall.
Staniar Gallery Presents Delilah Montoya: Contemporary Casta Portraiture
The solo exhibition will run from April 24 to May 25 in Staniar Gallery inside Washington and Lee University’s Lenfest Center for the Arts.
Catching up with Padget Sutherland ’17
Sutherland's advice for current students: "Don’t take yourself too seriously!"
Lighting a Fire
The Museums at W&L invites visitors to reflect on “Born of Fire: Contemporary Japanese Women Ceramic Artists,” on display through April 29.
Meet a Colleague: Melissa Kerin
Melissa Kerin is an associate professor of art history.
Museums at W&L Expands Its Collection
W&L’s most recent museum exhibition, “Mother Clay: The Pottery of Three Pueblo Women,” brought new artists into the university’s collection and connected the campus community in unexpected ways.
The Art of: Brushing Up
Katie Wall Podracky '05 painted the landscape of more than 40 state parks during the COVID-19 shutdown.
Museums at W&L Presents ‘Born of Fire’
This exhibit is free and open to the public, with a scheduled reception and lecture by curator and scholar Jacqueline Chao on March 8 at 5 p.m.
W&L’s Staniar Gallery Presents ‘Fieldwork’
The Staniar Gallery at W&L will hold an exhibition of works by Adrienne Callander through March 17
Museums at W&L: Winter 2023 Programs and Exhibitions
Two new ceramics exhibits, which spotlight women artists, open to the public Feb. 1.
W&L’s Staniar Gallery Presents ‘Futile State’
The solo exhibition by sculptor Sam Blanchard is on view until Feb. 8.
W&L Faculty Members Present Papers at 2022 MESA Conference in Denver
Anthony Edwards, Theodore Van Loan and Kameliya Atanasova were featured at the annual event.
Meet a W&L Scholar: Julia Brinker ’25
Brinker makes her mark on Florence, Italy’s digital history.
W&L’s Staniar Gallery Presents ‘Terra Ignota: Land Unknown’
The show will be on view from Nov. 7-Dec. 9
W&L Trio Publishes Article in the Heritage Science Journal
George Bent, David Pfaff and Mackenzie Brooks teamed up to profile the 3D reconstruction of historic sites in Florence, Italy.
W&L Art Professor’s Paintings Featured in Several Exhibits
A new member of the art faculty, Emma Steinkraus recently completed an exhibition at the Hashimoto Contemporary in Los Angeles.
W&L Presents ‘Selections from The Lindsay Webster Collection of Cuban Posters at Wofford College’
The show will be on display in Wilson Hall’s Lykes Atrium in conjunction with Esteban Ramón Pérez’s solo exhibition “Distorted Myths,” which will be on view in the Staniar Gallery Oct. 10 through Nov. 2.
W&L’s Staniar Gallery Presents ‘Distorted Myths’
The show will be on view from Oct. 10–Nov. 2.
Washington and Lee Names Seven Faculty Members to Endowed Professorships
These faculty have been recognized for their outstanding teaching, scholarship and service to the university.
W&L Professor Guest Edits Journal on Salvador Dalí
Elliott King profiled the renowned artist for ‘The Journal of Surrealism and the Americas.’
W&L Studio Art Lab Technician Named Artist in Residence
Christine Carr to take part in a yearlong effort with the City of Roanoke Stormwater Utility.
Andrea Lepage to Deliver Lecture in Honor of Endowed Professorship
Lepage’s talk “Borderlands Arts Pedagogy” will be held on Sept. 28.
Director of Staniar Gallery Selected for Inclusion in Upcoming Art Festival
Clover Archer’s work will be featured in the Art in Odd Places Story exhibition in New York City later this month.
W&L’s Staniar Gallery Presents Fall 2022 Programs and Exhibitions
The first of three fall exhibitions at Washington and Lee University’s Staniar Gallery is now open to the public.
W&L Art Professor Awarded VCCA Fellowship
Sandy de Lissovoy is one of 22 fellows to participate in the prestigious residency program from Virginia Center for the Creative Arts.
Museums at W&L: Fall 2022 Programs and Exhibitions
The Museums at W&L invite the public to their opening reception for "Museum Menageries" on Sept. 15 at 6 p.m.
W&L Outcomes: Emma Cleveland ’22
Cleveland is working as a trip leader for an active travel company in Alaska this summer, and she plans to work in Europe this fall.
W&L Outcomes: Madelyn Sheridan ’22
Sheridan, a business administration and studio art major, will be joining the wealth management team at UBS in New York City.
Art in the Right Place
Students in Elliott King’s Spring Term class, “Modern Art in Barcelona,” are being steeped in Spanish art, history and architecture during an unforgettable educational trip to Barcelona and Madrid.
Reeves Museum Unveils Green-Glazed Stoneware Acquisitions
The two recent acquisitions, a large dish and a small jar, allow the museum to better represent the global reach of Chinese ceramics.
W&L’s Shugart ’22 Awarded U.S. Teaching Assistantship to Austria
After her USTA program orientation in September, Shugart will team teach in a secondary school in Austria through May 2023.
W&L’s Staniar Gallery Celebrates Kathleen Olson’s Career with New Exhibition
Washington and Lee’s Staniar Gallery presents “Passage,” a retrospective exhibition of paintings celebrating the career of W&L’s Kathleen Olson. There will be a public reception for the show on May 7 at 5 p.m. in Wilson Concert Hall.
W&L’s Maggie Hardin ’22 Earns Fulbright to Germany
Maggie Hardin '22 has received a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship to Germany.
W&L’s Elliott King Published by Penn State Press
King co-edited a book as a part of Penn State Press' "Refiguring Modernism" series.
W&L’s Staniar Gallery Presents 2022 Senior Art Theses ‘Memory and Motion’
The students’ work is on display in Staniar Gallery through April 9.
The Museums at W&L Celebrate International ‘Slow Art Day’
W&L will celebrate the international movement on April 2 from noon to 2 p.m. in Watson Gallery on the W&L campus.
W&L’s Elyssa McMaster ’22 Awarded Fulbright to Italy
McMaster has been awarded a Fulbright research grant to Italy to complete a hybrid art history and computer science project.
W&L’s Staniar Gallery Presents ‘the landscape is not still’
The show will be on view from Feb. 14 through March 18, and artist Leah Raintree will give a public talk on Feb. 15.
Staniar Gallery Presents Exhibition by Surrealist Donald Nield
The exhibition titled “American Surrealist, paintings by Donald Nield (1924-1984)” will be on display through Feb. 9. Professor Elliot King will give a public lecture about Nield’s work on Jan. 18 at 5:30 p.m.
‘What I Love About the Liberal Arts’
Amelia Lancaster '22 has used her W&L experience to explore a number of interests, ultimately finding a passion in museum studies and Chinese that has allowed her to co-curate a museum exhibition on campus.
W&L’s Staniar Gallery Daily Ethics Mosaic Exhibition Opens Jan. 10
The large-scale community artwork created as part of a Mudd Center program will be on view in Wilson Hall's Lykes Atrium through Feb. 9.
Michael Taylor to Deliver Annual Pamela H. Simpson Lecture
On Nov. 30, Taylor will speak on the current VFMA exhibition, "Man Ray: The Paris Years."
New Podcast Episode Explores ‘Florence As It Was’
The latest episode of W&L's Lifelong Learning podcast takes listeners to Italy with George Bent, who describes his remarkable digital history project.
W&L’s Melissa Kerin Publishes Journal Article
Kerin recently published a paper titled "Cut, Tuck, and Paste: Repurposing Mass-Produced Imagery at Buddhist Shrines in Ladakh, India."
Staniar Gallery Presents ‘Homeward Bound’
The exhibit, with works by Maria Cristina Tavera, will be on display Nov. 8-Dec. 3.
Beauty in the Beasts
A deer figure on display in a new Watson Galleries exhibit, "Auspicious Animals," is an example of the Chinese practice of blending European tastes with encoded symbolic meaning.
W&L’s Staniar Gallery Presents ‘A Yellow Rose Project’
The exhibit reflects on women's right to vote.
W&L Presents Public Lecture with Historian Karen L. Cox
Cox is an award-winning historian and a distinguished lecturer for the Organization of American Historians.
W&L Museums Present Fall Events
The Museums at W&L invite the public to their grand reopening reception on Sept. 24 at 4:30 p.m.
Staniar Gallery Presents Louise Herreshoff Eaton Exhibition
The exhibition is the first comprehensive study of the artist's watercolors.
W&L’s Bowden Presents Art Exhibit
Professor Christa Bowden presents her newest collaborative art show at Augusta University titled “Cumberland Island: Land, Water, Wind, and Light."
Lost and Found
Two presenters who met at a 2017 conference at Washington and Lee joined forces to repatriate a stolen Nepali deity.
