Each year, Duke University awards Benenson Awards in the Arts, which provide funding for arts-centered projects proposed by undergraduates, including graduating seniors. This year, the Student Arts Award Committee awarded prizes to fifteen students for creative projects spanning film, theater, creative writing, music, dance, and visual art.

2025 marks five years since students navigated an arts landscape transformed by the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. Since that time, students continue to innovate, and the committee remains impressed with the creativity and the depth of investment in arts practice and creative scholarship shown by Benenson applicants.

I encourage students who are interested in proposing a project for this kind of funding to seek advice about opportunities (even those with a storied pedigree or notable brand) and their suitability in the short- and long-term. Run your proposals and budgets by trusted arts mentors. And those returning students with independent projects, investigate the Duke Arts Studio for 2025-26. It’s a great way to get one-on-one mentorship from a Duke alum or Durham-based professional artist that keeps you accountable and builds your portfolio and your confidence to pursue your next opportunities.

Jules Odendahl-James, Ph.D, M.F.A.
Chair, Student Arts Awards Committee

2025 Benenson Award Winners