The Edith C. Weiler Scholarship

The Edith C. Weiler scholarship is available to women in the community with limited means who are rising above their circumstances whatever that may be, allowing them the ability to express themselves creatively in order to help them move forward on their journey

About Edith

Edith was a successful businessperson, and a highly skilled, accomplished artist/photographer. Her specialty was in Tintype, wet plate photography, a process dating back to the 1800’s. She loved Photography, especially film, because it was so exciting, and unforgiving. But tintypes were her passion, and opportunities to learn and excel at this art were few and far between. But she was, like everything she did in life, dedicated to learn and to achieve excellence in the genre. Good was never good enough, she wanted perfect. All her hard work and passion for excellence would have been difficult without opportunities, and when opportunities presented themselves, she reached far and wide to embrace them to enable her to pursue her dreams. She spent many weeks in Central New York State, literally living “off the grid,” to study under John Coffer, a Master in that art form. One of her very first plates was a portrait of John and his wife, and they were “blown away” at her high quality, her determination, and her desire to succeed. She also pursued her photography at NH Institute of Art, and her beloved Kimball-Jenkins School of Art. For Edith, her cameras were not pieces of equipment, they were extensions of her soul; she was one with the camera. Her logo was “Eye of the Maker Photography,” and was so prophetic! In her words, “Photography gave me a new and fresh appreciation for all arts; and what keeps this alive for me is the desire to tell visual stories that give emotional messages.”

Edith achieved her many successes in times where opportunities to “chase the brass ring” have not always been available or easy for women. She did believe that opportunity will come for all who work for it and desire it. A famous quote says “The secret of success in life, is to be ready for opportunity when it comes.”** She lived that to the fullest! And so this Scholarship is offered in her Memory to provide opportunity for other women, and hopefully women with special needs, to reach for their own “ring.” It then takes hard work, lots of encouragement, and strong mentorship. All of this will be abundant in pursuing the arts at Kimball-Jenkins School of Art.

Edith loved Kimball-Jenkins and its dedicated and talented staff. It was her hope that she could help this great Institution continue to offer opportunities and encouragement to other aspiring artists, to help them continue to learn and grow, and to achieve their individual dreams. You cannot grab that brass ring if you never get on the ride!

** Disraeli