The Residential College is proud to announce Aine Beale as the first recipient of the Ann E. Savageau Visual Arts Community Student Award. A senior in the Arts and Ideas in the Humanities program, Beale was selected for her exceptional contributions to the RC’s visual arts community in both her own creative work and in her steady, behind-the-scenes leadership.
Established in 2025, the Savageau Award honors a graduating RC or RC-affiliated student who has meaningfully contributed to the betterment of the visual arts community. This includes engagement through coursework, arts-based community service, environmental advocacy, and work with underserved or incarcerated populations. The award was created to celebrate the legacy of Ann Savageau, an artist, environmental advocate, and former RC faculty member.
Beale’s impact spans multiple mediums including ceramics, printmaking, and book arts, and her dedication has been felt across the RC’s studio spaces. As a work-study student in both the ceramics and drawing/printmaking studios, she helped maintain materials and equipment while mentoring fellow students. Faculty members praised her “precise craftsmanship,” “commitment to developing skills and knowledge in ceramics,” and her ability to serve as “a welcome role model, particularly for students in the beginning course.”
In their nomination letter, Professors Susan Crowell and Toby Millman described Beale as “a generous mentor” and “a steady presence in our studios keeping things running behind the scenes.” They wrote, “Your contributions to the studios, the program, and the college are substantial, and your modeling of excellent artistic practice and commitment to one’s craft are so important to our students’ education in the arts.”
Beale is currently completing her senior thesis in the Arts and Ideas in the Humanities program, a capstone that is expected to showcase both her technical skill and her thoughtful, community-minded approach to artmaking. Her professors, peers, and the broader RC community look forward to seeing where her talents and leadership will take her next.
The Residential College thanks Ann Savageau’s family, particularly Michael Savageau, for making this new award possible.
