Adam Bernard Endowed Fund for Artistic Merit

The Adam Bernard Endowed Fund for Artistic Merit was established in June 2023. Mr. Bernard ‘95 created the fund to assist art students, especially photography students, who are enrolled at The University of Akron. Mr. Bernard graduated from The University of Akron with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Photography. He currently resides in Medina, Ohio.
Professionally, Mr. Bernard has worked as a news photographer for nearly a decade at Cleveland’s Sun Newspapers, the Akron Beacon Journal, and taught photography at The University of Akron. Mr. Bernard has received numerous awards and honors over the years, most notably two Individual Artist Fellowships from the Ohio Arts Council in 1995 and 1997. The bodies of work recognized for these honors were Situational Experiences in Teen Culture and Boxers of Akron. “Project Belvedere” is Mr. Bernard’s ongoing photographic mission. Photographs from this body of work have been recognized for selection in exhibitions by jurors who are experts in the art of photography, including Rebecca Cummins, Ph.D., Julia Dolan, Ph.D., Eric Paddock, Scott Stulen, Edith A. Tonelli, Ph.D., and many others.

Mr. Bernard participated in the Midwest Photographers Project at the Museum of Contemporary Photography, Chicago, in 2002. At the 2016 Photo Midwest Festival Biennial Exhibitions in Madison, Wis., well-known photographer Larry Fink awarded Mr. Bernard Runner-up Best of Show. In 2020, renowned photojournalist Peter Turnley awarded him with an Honorable Mention. The Massillon Museum in Ohio opened Mr. Bernard’s exhibition Town & County Featuring Route 42 in July 2020. Mr. Bernard participated in the Midwest Photographers Project at the Museum of Contemporary Photography, Columbia College, Chicago, and he exhibits his work nationally and internationally.

The Adam Bernard Endowed Fund for Artistic Merit supports students in the Mary Schiller Myers School of Art. First preference should be given to photography students. Primarily, funds should be used to help offset costs associated with senior exhibitions in the photography program. These costs include, but are not limited to supplies, exhibition cards, printing work, framing/alternative presentation, website hosting, and gallery space. If no photography student is eligible to receive the funds in a given academic year, then any other student enrolled in the Mary Schiller Myers of Art can be considered. Funds will be distributed at the discretion of the Director of the Myers School of Art based on student proposals and performance reviews conducted by Myers School of Art faculty and staff. Selected recipient(s) will receive reimbursement for their qualifying purchases with submission of receipts. Funds used for expenses other than qualified educational expenses are reportable and may be taxable to the recipient. Funds will not be used for tuition or associated fees.