The Community Foundation for Crawford County is pleased to introduce Emily Dotson, a 2018 scholarship recipient of one of the two Samuel Neff Fellowship for International Study Scholarship awards.
Emily, the daughter of Dave and Paula Dotson, is a 2013 graduate of Wynford High School. After earning a Bachelor’s of Fine Arts from Cleveland State University, Emily has decided to begin her post-graduate education at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada this fall. There she will be working towards a Master of Fine Arts in Theatre Design. “I will be studying set design primarily, but I also will be studying costume design, lighting design, and film studies,” stated Emily. “The campus is extremely diverse, and I am looking forward to meeting cohorts with different backgrounds and experiences than my own.”
With her love of storytelling and her ability to paint and draw, Emily explains her inspiration. “My nose has always been stuck in a book, and I always had a clear idea of what the setting would look like.” Later, she had an experience that would cement her future aspirations. “I got lucky one day when I was at an art gallery, and I saw an interview with a designer who was describing how he brought stories to life,” explained Emily. “I knew from that moment that would be what I would do. I can’t imagine doing anything else with my life.” After graduation, Emily would like to pursue her ultimate dream – to be a production designer on a television show. Emily explains, “My job would be creating a world for characters to live in and expanding that world as a series goes on.” However, her goals do not stop there. She would also like to “continue working in film and theater, especially new theater…[and] to become a better painter.” She has begun to sell her artwork, but hopes to have “a couple pieces in galleries for auction.”
Congratulations and good luck in the future, Emily!
To learn more about the scholarships offered through the Foundation, visit www.cfcrawford.org.
