Grant Winners 2017

2017 SPAM Grant Winners

The Society of Properties Artisan Managers is proud to announce the recipients of their third annual Edie Whitsett and Jen Trieloff Memorial Grants. Congratulations to Samantha Llanes and Lauren Chilton. These grants are awarded to individuals wanting financial assistance with transportation, housing or other necessities during an internship in theatrical properties. You can find out more about these grants and other resources at the S*P*A*M website. You can also “like” their Facebook page to stay up to date with news and announcements.

2017 Jen Trieloff Grant recipient: Samantha Llanes

Samantha Llanes
Samantha Llanes

Samantha is a third year MFA graduate candidate in Prop Technology at Ohio University. She is from Miami, Florida where she received her BFA in Scenic Design at Florida International University. Samantha is currently enjoying her summer as the Props Intern at the Glimmerglass Festival in Cooperstown, New York. She will present her thesis production of In the Next Room (The Vibrator Play) at Ohio University this Fall. She is grateful for the opportunity to represent S*P*A*M as the 2017 Jen Trieloff Grant recipient and is eager to find new adventures in the wonderful world of props. Samantha’s website, including her resume and portfolio, can be viewed at www.llanesprops.com.

2017 Edie Whitsett Grant recipient: Lauren Chilton

Lauren Chilton
Lauren Chilton

Lauren E. Chilton is a graduate student at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, VA, entering her third year in their Properties Design & Management program. Lauren earned her B.A. in Drama and Studio Art from the University of Virginia in 2012, where she was shuffled into props her second year out of necessity and never left. After graduation she moved to the DC-Metro area, where she first completed a carpentry apprenticeship at Olney Theatre Center and then spent a year as a freelance prop master, working with companies such as Folger Theatre, Imagination Stage, Synetic Theater, Forum Theatre, and The Welders, and as a prop assistant at University of Maryland under the guidance of Timothy Jones. She is currently working as a prop artisan for the Contemporary American Theater Festival in Shepherdstown, WV, and is prop designer for The Welders’ world premiere of to tell my story: a hamlet fanfic by Alexandra Petri. Next semester Lauren will develop her project and report in large-scale puppetry while designing and building props for Ping Chong’s Nosferatu, and in the winter will complete her MFA with an internship at the Santa Fe Opera. Lauren’s website, which includes her portfolio and resume, can be viewed at www.laurenechilton.com.

Congratulations to these two talented and promising Props Artisans on behalf of the Society of Properties Artisan Managers. The application process for next year’s grants will begin in March 2018.