Lantos Foundation Announces Activist Artist Scholarship Winners

Media contact:
Chelsea Hedquist
chelsea@lantosfoundation.org
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 Lantos Foundation Announces
Activist Artist Scholarship Winners

Three New Hampshire High School Seniors to Receive $10,000 in Scholarship Funds 

CONCORD (March 21, 2022) — The Lantos Foundation for Human Rights & Justice today announced that Gabrielle Gallant, a senior at Windham High School, has received the top award for the second annual Activist Artist Scholarship competition. Ms. Gallant’s winning essay recounts the story of her ballet teacher, who choreographed an original ballet piece titled A Child’s View of the Holocaust, which has been performed by the Londonderry Dance Academy for more than three decades. Ms. Gallant performed in the ballet piece, herself, for eight years. In her essay, she writes, “Performing this piece in high schools today fosters important conversation regarding tolerance, acceptance, and empathy. Open communication about the past and unjust treatment can help identify and prevent future injustice.”  

Ms. Gallant will receive a $5,000 scholarship to be paid to Marist College, which she will attend starting this fall at its Florence, Italy campus. She noted that, due to the pandemic, it has not been possible to perform A Child’s View of the Holocaust for the past two years. “Participating in the Activist Artist scholarship competition gave me a chance to remember and reflect on the importance of the message we delivered when we were able to perform,” she said. “It is a message that must be remembered, especially given today's current events.”  

The Foundation also awarded two runner-up prizes of $2,500 each to Kayla Schroyer of St. Paul’s School and Madelyn Allen of Bow High School. Ms. Schroyer received her award for an original piece of artwork titled “Obey, Work Hard, We Own You”, which draws attention to the unfairness, unhealthy conditions, and violations of rights that workers in the global labor market too often experience. Ms. Allen’s essay examined the impact of the photography of Dorothea Lange, whose “Censored images of Japanese American internment” documented some of the most egregious human rights abuses ever committed on American soil. Ms. Schroyer will attend Brigham Young University Idaho in the fall to study art education and theater. Ms. Allen will attend the University of New Hampshire. 

Dr. Katrina Lantos Swett, President of the Lantos Foundation, congratulated the three scholarship winners and said, “Art has a unique power to advocate for the human rights and dignity of all people – it can first move us and then motivate us to take action. For a second year, we received a range of impressive applications from high school seniors across the state who clearly understand this power. Some of the submissions were thoughtful and well-crafted essays about the work of activist artists, while others were remarkable pieces of original artwork. It was difficult to limit the awardees to only three, but we are grateful for our distinguished judges who devoted their time and energy to reviewing the submissions and selecting our winners. We are thrilled to award scholarships to three outstanding young scholars and to support their continuing education – and hopefully their continued interest in and commitment to human rights.” 

The Activist Artist Scholarship, first launched in October 2020, challenges applicants to examine the influence of a particular “Activist Artist” and show how that artist used their medium to influence, inform and inspire during their lifetime or beyond. Alternatively, applicants have the option to submit their own original piece of activist art. The scholarship competition is open to all New Hampshire high school seniors who intend to enroll in a 2- or 4-year college program at the conclusion of high school. Funding for the scholarships is generously provided through a grant from the Bank of New Hampshire.  

“Bank of New Hampshire is proud to support the Activist Artist Scholarship program,” said Cydney Shapleigh, EVP – Chief Wealth Management and Retail Banking Officer for Bank of New Hampshire. “Each year I am impressed by the talent of the applicants.  Their ability to bring awareness to human rights injustices through art is truly inspiring. We are honored to partner with such an important organization.”

The winners were selected by a panel of judges from the New Hampshire arts and education communities, and beyond, with a diverse range of experience and perspectives. This year’s judges included: Concord film-maker John Gfroerer, New Hampshire artist and gallery owner Pam Tarbell, Lantos Foundation Board of Trustees Treasurer Ambassador Richard Swett, Bank of New Hampshire’s Cydney Shapleigh, Lantos Foundation President Dr. Katrina Lantos Swett, Duke University student and former Lantos Foundation intern Daniel Wolf, and Betsy Gammons, a retired art teacher from the Concord School District and current part-time art instructor at the Currier Museum of Art.  

The Activist Artist Scholarship program falls within the Lantos Foundation’s “Global Citizenship” area of work. The Foundation recognizes the powerful, yet often overlooked, role that artists play in the human rights movement. Through the Activist Artist Scholarship and other programs, the Foundation seeks to encourage, support and elevate the work of artists who use their mediums to advocate for important causes. 

To learn more about the Foundation’s Activist Artist work and to stay updated on future awards, visit: https://www.lantosfoundation.org/activist-artist    

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About the Lantos Foundation for Human Rights & Justice: The Lantos Foundation was established in 2008 to carry forward the legacy of Congressman Tom Lantos, the only Holocaust survivor ever elected to the U.S. Congress and a leading human rights champion. Based in Concord, NH, the Foundation works with a range of partners and often in cooperation with the U.S. Government on issues that span the globe. The Foundation’s key areas of focus include human rights issues related to religious freedom, rule of law, internet freedom and activist art. The Foundation also administers the Lantos Congressional Fellows Program, supports human rights advocates, activists and artists through its Front Line Fund grant program, and awards the annual Lantos Human Rights Prize to honor and bring attention to heroes of the human rights movement. Past recipients of the Prize include His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Professor Elie Wiesel, Israeli President Shimon Peres, Iraqi Parliamentarian Vian Dakhil, “Hotel Rwanda” hero Paul Rusesabagina, and Hong Kong Democracy activist Joshua Wong, among others.