Fran Rudoff was an incredible force for change at Watershed Center for the Ceramic Arts from the moment she stepped into the role of Executive Director in 2013. Her decade-long tenure was marked by an incredible roster of accomplishments that have left the artist residency poised for year-round operations for the first time in its thirty-seven year history.

Melding a scrappy, grassroots energy with the clarity and organization of an executive, Fran, along with the board, initiated a capital campaign in 2016 that revitalized the campus over the following six years. Her efforts built a brand-new state of the art ceramics studio during the height of the pandemic, created year-round administrative offices and gallery space, established an endowment of more than $3 million, and laid the groundwork for Watershed's new campus commons to gather artistic community.

Along the way, Fran built strong relationships with artists, donors, community members, and trustees and was tireless in her drive to bring Watershed forward with new initiatives. Under her leadership, Watershed has supported hundreds of K-12 Maine art teachers with grant-supported professional development workshops, established a partnership with The Color Network to host residencies for their mentorship program, and grown the scholarship program three-fold, supporting nearly 150 artists along the way. Watershed is forever grateful for her energy and vision.

To honor her commitment and passion for progress, Watershed is establishing The Scholarship for Change. This scholarship will support an artist whose practice aligns with one of Fran's myriad interests: social or racial justice, environmentalism, or sustainable food production, for example. The criteria are broad, but the wish is that the artist's work deals with contemporary issues and they use their practice to educate and motivate change. We hope you share Fran's optimism and drive to create a better future and her belief in the important role art and artists play in bringing awareness and promoting action. Thank you for supporting The Scholarship for Change in honor of Fran Rudoff.