Scholarships Provide a Palette of Study Abroad Opportunities for Art History Major

Growing up on the outskirts of Washington, D.C., Hayley Madden often took the metro to visit her favorite museums, especially the National Gallery of Art.

Just a few years later, she found herself in another National Gallery – this time as part of a University of Mary Washington faculty-led trip to London – where she presented her original research on French painter Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun’s “Self-Portrait with a Straw Hat.”

“That was a once-in-a-lifetime experience that I’ll never forget,” said Madden, a senior art history major from Alexandria, Virginia, who came to UMW because of its emphasis on international education. “I’ve always had a desire to see the world and view both travel and art history as an outlet to escape from reality into the realm of adventure.”

Senior Hayley Madden, an art history major at the University of Mary Washington, has studied abroad in both England and France because of the private support she has received from UMW donors. Here, she poses with a painting by Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun, ‘Self-Portrait with a Straw Hat,’ which she presented her research on at London’s National Gallery of Art. Photo courtesy of Hayley Madden.

Hayley takes a moment to ponder paintings at the Louvre in Paris. Photo courtesy of Hayley Madden.

Madden has had her share of adventures since coming to Mary Washington, studying abroad twice and globetrotting across Europe to see some of the world’s most famous works of art. Now, she serves as a peer advisor and an international student liaison in UMW’s Center for International Education, helping fellow students with their own study abroad experiences.

At UMW’s Celebration of Giving in November, she shared that private donor support was essential in helping her obtain these opportunities.

“My awards have helped me realize my dream of earning an art history degree while connecting me to these generous benefactors, some of whom have shared my passion for art,” said Madden, who earned the Talon Award and the Nina G. Bushnell, Emil R. Schnellock and J. Binford Walford scholarships.

A member of the UMW Honors program, Madden has engaged in challenging liberal arts and sciences coursework across the University. But her favorite classes have been those within the Department of Art and Art History, she said, taught by Professors Julia DeLancey, Joseph Dreiss and Suzie Kim. “They’ve played an essential role in my journey of self-discovery and pursuit of an education and a career in art history.”

Read more at Giving.umw.edu.