KFDF Grant Supports Faculty Research on Photography’s History and Contemporary Practice

The Kasteel Well Faculty Development Fund (KFDF) supports the scholarly and creative activities of affiliated faculty members of the Emerson College Kasteel Well Program in the Netherlands. Managed by Kasteel Well administrative staff with support from the Office of Research and Creative Scholarship (ORCS), the fund provides opportunities for faculty to pursue research, creative projects, and professional development.

Through a KFDF grant, Gerlo Beernink will conduct a research and creative project examining the influence of nineteenth-century photographer Gustave Le Gray on contemporary photographic practice during the 2026 Bicentennial of Photography.

The project will include archival research at the Bibliothèque Nationale de France, where Beernink will study Le Gray’s photographs and historical materials, as well as the creation of a new photographic series inspired by Le Gray’s maritime landscapes and artistic approach. The research will explore the connection between photography’s historical foundations and its continued evolution as an artistic medium.

As part of the project, Beernink will also attend Paris Photo 2026 at the Grand Palais in November, 2026 to investigate contemporary photographic practices, including renewed interest in historical processes and the reinterpretation of photographic archives. The experience will extend beyond faculty research through a free academic excursion bringing Kasteel Well Photo History students to Paris Photo, where they will engage with significant historical and contemporary works and gain firsthand insight into the global photography community.

This KFDF-supported project reflects the fund’s mission to advance faculty scholarship while creating meaningful opportunities for students to connect classroom learning with creative research and international experiences.