Guarisco Merit Scholars Named by Art, Art History, and Visual Studies Program
April 7, 2026
The Art, Art History, and Visual Studies Program has announced the winners of the Peter V. Guarisco Merit Scholarship for the 2026-27 academic year.
Beatrice Johnson, C’27, was awarded the Guarisco Scholarship in Art for excellence in coursework, creative production, and engagement with the visual arts. Shalom Richard, C’27, was awarded the Guarisco Scholarship in Art History in recognition of excellence in coursework, writing, and engagement with questions of art history. The scholarships provide both recipients with tuition for their senior year and funding for a postgraduate career preparation experience.
Beatrice Johnson (pictured above left) is a junior art and Russian major from Durham, North Carolina. Combining drawing, collage, painting, and photography in her work, Johnson seeks to create imaginative or dreamlike worlds for her subjects. “My interests revolve around storytelling,” said Johnson in her artist statement. “Often my illustrations are derived from musical and poetic sources that blur the lines between reality and the imagined or dreamed.” Faculty in the Art Department noted Johnson’s engagement in coursework across multiple disciplines and the strength of her formal and conceptual approaches to her creative work. “Beatrice's exceptional technical skills come together in inventive ways, inviting viewers to question what exactly they are seeing,” says Associate Professor of Art Jessica Wohl.
Shalom Richard (pictured above right) is a junior art history major from New Orleans. In a statement in support of Richard’s selection for the Guarisco award, the faculty in the Art History Department highlighted Richard’s interest in research in a variety of areas of art history—particularly Latin American art—and enthusiasm for engaging the larger Sewanee community in art history education as an ambassador for the department. “Shalom has consistently been an impressive student in our courses,” says Assistant Professor of Art History Leslie Todd. “She expresses a mature thoughtfulness in art historical conversation and always craves being challenged. We look forward to the research she uncovers in her capstone project.”
An important feature of the Art, Art History, and Visual Studies Program, the Guarisco scholarship encourages ongoing engagement in the program and recognizes student achievement in both scholarship and studio practice. As Guarisco scholars, both Johnson and Richard will serve as ambassadors for the arts in addition to continuing their academic and creative pursuits.
The Guarisco award is given to two rising seniors each year, one from art history and one from art. Sewanee’s art history faculty selected Richard to receive the Guarisco scholarship. Johnson was selected for the Guarisco scholarship by a jury of external artists that included sculptor Isaac Duncan III, artist and photographer Siri Kaur, and artist and educator Erin McIntosh.
Pictured: Round & Round (2025, Collage) by Beatrice Johnson, C’27.
