A Lasting Imprint
“We have had such a great time in my classes that it is hard to get them out of my classroom at the end of the semester,” chuckles Duval.
One such student is studio art major Peyton Cochran ’04.
“Barbara gave me the freedom to explore and create in a controlled environment with support and encouragement,” says Cochran. “She was tough but understanding – and I had a deep connection with her in a way I cannot pinpoint, but she felt like home to me, and a comfort and challenge all at the same time.”
How appropriate that a printmaker has made such a lasting impression on her students. Inspired by Duval’s imprint on his daughter, G. Moffett Cochran established the Barbara Duval Endowed Scholarship of Studio Art.
The gift enables the studio art faculty to review nominations and collectively select a scholarship recipient each year. This year they chose two students: Thomas Hicks and Ella Waldron-Noren.
Hicks, who has taken all three of Duval’s printmaking classes, has a passion to learn that grabbed Duval’s attention.
“He was always working hard, focusing on his tasks at hand and doing his best in an area where he had no previous experience – printmaking,” says Duval. “Not to mention: When we did critiques, he would always have feedback for all his classmates, which pleased me. It is a hard thing to do, and he did it compassionately. He took to printmaking and is a very talented student.”
For Hicks, who plans to pursue his photography and sculpture focus in graduate school, the scholarship validated that he is on the right path.
“I remember when Professor Duval told me the good news – I was thrilled,” he says. “It meant a lot to me that she noticed and acknowledged my hard work. I’ve built a strong bond with her and really value her support. Receiving the scholarship has boosted my confidence in my art and reinforced my belief that I can truly succeed as an artist one day.”
Duval looks forward to having Waldron-Noren in her class in the spring.
“I have seen her paintings in the students’ shows and the gallery – she is incredibly talented; you can see the passion in her pieces,” says Duval.
Waldron-Noren uses her art to respond to the natural world.
“As I further my understanding of our planet through my scientific studies, my artwork becomes a mirror,” says the studio art major and geology minor. “My work uses visual connections to serve as a reminder that no matter how much we may feel separate from the natural world, we are an integral part of it.”
With the Duval Scholarship, Waldron-Noren is taking an extra year at the College, something that wouldn’t have been possible otherwise.
“In the future, I want to find or create a job that combines both of my main passions: nature and art,” says Waldron-Noren. “I am unsure what that looks like right now, but I am confident with this extra year to build on my knowledge and with the support of the art community, I will find a way.”
Peyton Cochran is thrilled that students are seizing opportunities.
“I want students to know that they are talented and have an incredible future ahead and to use this scholarship to discover and unlock those talents at the next level,” she says. “I want them to lean in to the hard areas and explore the uncomfortable. Challenge your creativity and find a mentor like Barbara Duval, who can teach you life lessons that will leave an imprint on your artistic future – the way she imprinted mine.”