THE MARY DEAN WILEY PORTRAIT GRANT APPLICATION

(Commencement Season | April 1 – July 15)

Named in honor of Mary Dean Wiley—a lifelong advocate for higher education whose home served as a physical archive of family and community achievement through graduate portraiture—this grant provides a fully endowed, archival-level portrait sitting (The Cap & Gown, valued at $800) for graduating scholars, advanced degree candidates, and first-generation graduates from historically underrepresented and strategically-undervalued communities.

Underwritten by private patrons and alumni, this grant includes dedicated studio time, 6×7 medium-format analog film, retouched master files, and an 11×14 Archival Cotton-Rag Print.

Application Window: January 15 – March 1

Notifications Issued: March 20

Sitting Window: April 1 – July 15

Note: Grants are awarded based on missional alignment and secured seasonal patron funding. In the event patron funding is uncommitted by March 1, applicants are offered priority access to standard seasonal commencement bookings.