Lewis Center Summer Funding Grant

Lewis Center Summer Funding Grant

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: Lewis Center for the Arts
Last Updated: January 15, 2026

Summary

The Lewis Center Summer Funding offers Princeton undergraduates a unique opportunity to pursue creative projects during the summer. Students do not need to apply for specific funding sources; the committee assigns available funds based on project proposals. Awards include the Alex Adam ’07 Award for original artistic work, the Mary Quaintance ‘84 Fund for students in Creative Writing or Visual Arts, and additional funds for research and travel related to the arts. This initiative fosters artistic exploration and community engagement.

Overview

Lewis Center for the Arts Mission Statement At the Lewis Center for the Arts, we believe that art arises out of questions. Art, on a campus like Princeton’s, is so much more than an “outlet” for expressing what one already knows and feels, or an “escape hatch” for blowing off steam built up by more rigorous kinds of work. Our classes and minor programs in Dance, Creative Writing, Theater & Music Theater, Visual Arts and in the interdisciplinary Princeton Atelier operate on the principle that rigorous artistic practice is a form of research, innovation, discovery and intervention. Like scholarship of any kind, rigorous artistic practice is a way of interrogating that which is accepted or understood in an attempt to break into the territory of the unknown or under-explored. The Lewis Center is designed to put the creative and performing arts at the heart of the Princeton experience. This mission is based on the conviction that exposure to the arts helps us to make sense of our lives and the lives of our neighbors. We pursue this mission by bringing together a vibrant community of people with different backgrounds, experiences, perspectives, and artistic practices. Lewis Center Summer Funding For the Lewis Center Summer Funding Awards, students need not apply for any particular funding source when proposing a project. The committee will determine what funding source is used for each student’s project. Alex Adam ’07 Award Princeton University’s Lewis Center for the Arts is honored to provide funding through an award established in memory of Alexander Jay Adam ’07. The Alex Adam ’07 Award, made possible by a generous gift from his family, will provide support to undergraduates who want to spend a summer pursuing a project that will result in the creation of an original work of art. Princeton First-years, Sophomores and Juniors are eligible for the awards. The award provides $7,500 in support to each of three undergraduate students. The award can be used to support a variety of activities, such as interning at theater or dance festivals; directing, designing, or acting in a show; composing poems or short stories; making short films; or mastering a photographic technique. The activity should culminate in the creation or production of an original work. The Mary Quaintance ‘84 Fund for the Creative Arts Award The Mary Quaintance ’84 Fund for the Creative Arts was established in memory of Mary Quaintance, Class of 1984, to foster talents similar to those she developed in writing, film studies, and literature in the creative arts programs at Princeton University. One Sophomore or Junior enrolled in the Lewis Center for the Arts courses in Creative Writing or Visual Arts during this academic year, who has demonstrated talent in writing, film studies, or a combination of the two, will be awarded funds to pursue a project in the arts. Peter B. Lewis Summer Fund Awards are presented to First-years, Sophomores, and Juniors enrolled in Lewis Center for the Arts courses (ATL, CWR, DAN, THR, VIS, MUS) this academic year to provide funding for course, travel, and/or research costs related to studies in the creative and performing arts. Mellor Fund for Undergraduate Research Awards are presented to First-years, Sophomores, and Juniors enrolled in Lewis Center for the Arts courses (ATL, CWR, DAN, THR, VIS, MUS) this academic year to provide funding for course, travel, and/or research costs related to studies in the creative and performing arts. Sam Hutton Fund for the Arts The Sam Hutton Fund for the Arts was established in August 2015 by Thomas C. Hutton (Class of 1972) to support undergraduate summer study, travel, and independent research in the Lewis Center for the Arts. Mallach Senior Thesis Fund The Mallach Senior Thesis Fund is an award established by Douglas J. Mallach ’91 to support the realization of a proposed senior independent project that incorporates historical research and creates an alternative path to learning history with a $5,000 grant.

Eligibility

You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website. Student Eligibility for Lewis Center Summer Funding Awards:Alex Adam ’07 AwardOpen to ALL Princeton First-years, Sophomores & JuniorsMary Quaintance ‘84 Fund for the Creative Arts AwardOpen only to Lewis Center Creative Writing or Visual Arts sophomores and juniors.Peter B. Lewis Summer Fund;  Mellor Fund for Undergraduate Research; Sam Hutton Fund for the ArtsAll Princeton University students who have taken or are currently taking a Lewis Center course (ATL, CWR, DAN, LCA, MTD, THR, VIS) are eligible for this funding.Mallach Senior Thesis FundThis award is given to a current junior who is minoring in a Lewis Center Program – Creative Writing, Dance, Theater & Music Theater, Visual Arts.