Rosenberg Scholar: Diane Allen

Release date: November 21, 2006

An art history major who just completed her first year as a Goucher II student, Diane Allen received one of this year’s Rosenberg Scholarships. This award is given to several students each year to recognize their achievement in the arts. Encouraged by Professor Laura Burns, Diane submitted slides she had done in Burns’ photography classes and a scholarship application that included her background and goals as an artist.

Pleased to receive the prestigious award, she hopes to hone her artistic skills and move on to a career in the fine arts.

Three of Diane’s photographs were exhibited in the Rosenberg Gallery this past spring. Chosen from Animates, a series of eight photographs with accompanying text, these photos were part of her final presentation in Intermediate Photography. Of the three, her favorite is “Saucer Magnolia,” which has a Japanese flavor. She feels it is reminiscent of her former work in fabric design, yet it fulfills her current vision. By working for the first time with slow film and a tripod, she was able to capture fine detail while printing large images— one of her goals in this particular project. One person told Diane that her photography allowed him to see trees in a different way, which is what she had hoped to accomplish.

Diane credits the Art and Art History Department with offering a very nurturing environment for learning. She was attracted to the Goucher II program because “as an artist, it was wonderful to work with students who are in their 20s because they are just starting to find their way as artists, and their energy meant a lot to me.”

Before coming to Goucher, Diane was working in the Baltimore County Public Library system and considered completing her degree through an online degree program to become a librarian. But she soon realized that she would be happiest pursuing a career in art, and decided to complete the art major she had started at Maryland Institute College of Art and Towson University. This time, however, Diane enrolled at Goucher, where she has the opportunity to pursue not only photography, but also photojournalism, printmaking, and digital imaging.

Diane is grateful that Goucher provides an environment “where people can become artists” and find their own direction, and she especially appreciates the availability of her professors, who are very generous with their time and expertise. Diane is interested in pursuing a career that combines the fine arts and teaching, and she is looking for ways to make art accessible and meaningful to young students.