Katie Thomas-Canfield, 2013 Meg Graham Scholarship Recipient

The Junior League of Washington is pleased to announce Katherine Thomas-Canfield as the recipient of the 2013 Meg Graham Scholarship...Celebrating Service and Leadership.

Katie Thomas- Canfield is pictured here at the JLW 2013 Awards ceremony with JLW's 2013- 2013 President Wendy Cumberland.

Katie is a senior at School Without Walls and will be matriculating in the fall to the University of California-Berkeley. She plans to major in international development, and one day hopes to work in the Peace Corps, at the State Department, or with USAID. She currently serves the Class President and is a member of the National Honor Society. She serves as the student representative to the Local School Advisory Team, working with principals, teachers, and parents to better the School Without Walls environment; with the Team, she is currently working to facilitate a merger of a middle school with School Without Walls and help plan the 2013-2014 School Without Walls budget.

Katie has over 540 documented hours of volunteer service. The past two summers, Katie has volunteered with AMIGOS de Las Americas, first in Nicaragua and last year in the Dominican Republic. She has interned with Save the Children International and the Library of Congress. She is passionate about art, having taken classes at the Corcoran College of Art and having had work displayed at George Washington University and American University; she won first place in the 2012 citywide DCPS Arts Exhibition. Katie said her first volunteer experience was when she was two-years-old and went to N Street Village, one of the JLW’s current community partners, with her church.

Bill Graham, husband of the late Meg Graham, says about Katie: “If one looked at Meg's achievements at a comparable point in her youth, the parallels would be striking.”

The JLW is thrilled to support Katie in her higher education pursuits over the next four years and looks forward to her accomplishments.

For more information about the JLW's 2014 application for the Meg Graham Scholarship, including the availability of and deadline for submission, please email grantsandvolunteers@jlw.org or visit our website at http://www.jlw.org/?nd=grants_scholars.

The Espirit Tour and Brunch at the Corcoran Was a Rousing Success!

On Sunday, January 27, JLW members and their guests experienced guided tours and a delicious brunch at the Corcoran Gallery of Art. Ann Sun and Johanna Dubay, along with other members of the Esprit Committee, did an excellent job organizing the event. Brennan Hogan, Meredith Mathis, and Heather Tierney, JLW volunteers at the Corcoran, provided the tours.

Meredith and Heather led part of the group through the Corcoran’s permanent collection, showcasing works from American and European artists whose styles span the 17th century through the mid-20th century. Brennan’s tour highlighted two temporary exhibits currently on display – Enoc Perez’s Utopia and Ivan Sigal’s White Road. Upon completing the hour-long tours, the group enjoyed brunch from Todd Gray’s Muse Café, located in the spacious and airy atrium of the Gallery.

It was a great opportunity for JLW members to see our work with one of the League’s oldest community partners. If you are interested in tours for your committee, please reach out to Meredith, Heather, or Brennan for more information.

Espirit committee member Ann Sun with Corcoran committee members Brennan Hogan, Heather Tierney, and Meredith Mathis.

JLW Facts: May 15, 2012

Community Partner Spotlight: The Corcoran Gallery of Art

One of my favorite Junior League of Washington community partners is the Corcoran Gallery of Art. At 17th and E streets downtown, it’s a short walk from my office and is my top choice for a lunchtime escape.

I’m so proud that the League is dedicated to helping the community learn what the Corcoran has to offer. In fact, for over 50 years, JLW volunteers have promoted cultural and visual literacy as museum docents.

The word docent comes from the Latin word docere, meaning “to teach.” The Corcoran considers its docents an important link between the public and the art and credits them for offering an interactive, educational experience for visitors.

If you haven't already visited the Corcoran, I encourage you to find a friend on the committee and sign up for a tour. In the meantime, please enjoy this virtual guided selection of Corcoran highlights:

Permanent Collection: The permanent collection includes historic and modern American art, European painting, decorative arts, photography and media arts. I especially like the Luxembourg Gardens painting by William Glackens, who is known in some circles as the American Renoir.

Todd Gray's Muse: Something about the museum's cafe is reminiscent of a modern lunch spot in Paris. Seasonal, local ingredients are featured in all of the colorful, creative dishes on the menu curated by Chef Todd Gray.

Continuing Education Courses: Indulge your inner artist with for-credit and non-credit classes in areas of study including ceramics, digital media, interior design and photography. Many courses are on nights and weekends and are held at the upper Georgetown campus.

Artini: The guest of honor at this Corcoran party is the art - paintings that inspire drinks created by mixologists around Washington. The celebration lasts for an entire month, with participating venues around the city hosting Feature Nights until the evening of the benefit, when the winning artini is revealed.

 

Editor's note: Interested in going on a JLW docent lead tour? JLW members are usually on the schedule Thursday evenings at 7:00 p.m., as well as Saturday and Sunday afternoons at 3:00 p.m. Contact the current placement Chair with questions.