Mercer Times

Class of 2024 graduates Juliette Carbonnier and Collin Riggins have been awarded the Martin A. Dale '53 Fellowship, which supports yearlong independent projects for recent Princeton alumni. The fellowship, established by Martin Dale, a 1953 Princeton alumnus, provides a $40,000 grant to fund projects of significant merit that enhance personal growth and intellectual development.

Juliette Carbonnier, who graduated with a degree in English and certificates in creative writing, music theater, and theater, is creating a one-woman play with music inspired by her ancestors' legacy. Her project explores themes such as art versus trauma and comedy versus tragedy. "Our world is wracked with anger, grief and suffering," Carbonnier stated in her application essay. Stacy Wolf from the Lewis Center for the Arts described Carbonnier's project as a “perfect expansion” of her academic pursuits at Princeton.

Collin Riggins graduated with a degree in African American studies and a certificate in visual arts. His project, “Cotton Stains,” involves producing black-and-white photographs of Black cotton farmers and developing an art studio in Garysburg, North Carolina. In his essay for the fellowship application, Riggins expressed his goal to challenge painful memories associated with cotton farming through his work. Autumn Womack praised Riggins' proposal as an evolution of his research on race and cotton narratives.

Both recipients have embarked on their respective projects following their graduation this summer.