2024 Costume Society of America Grants, Projects, Awards, and Honors Announced

April 15, 2024

Costume Society of America (CSA) is pleased to announce the recipients of its 2024 grants, projects, awards, and honors. "We have an exceptional group of awards, honors, and grant recipients this year. I want to thank all of our committees for their work and dedication in reviewing the nominees,” says Arlesa Shephard, CSA Vice President for Awards and Honors. Patricia Edmonson, Vice President for Grants and Projects adds, "We truly appreciate the time our applicants spend on each submission. Our committee chairs are always here to help members through the process of applying!” All awards, grants, and projects are funded through the generosity of donors to the CSA Endowment.


One Costume Society of America Fellow has been chosen this year to honor her significant contributions to the field of costume. Linda Baumgarten is a specialist in the early history of textiles and costumes. For 39 years she held the position of curator of textiles and costumes at the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation in Williamsburg, Virginia. She is the author of three books and co-author of two others. What Clothes Reveal, The Language of Clothing in Colonial and Federal America won CSA’s Millia Davenport Publications Award. In her retirement, Linda continues to lecture, research clothing and quilts, and draw quilt patterns using Computer-Assisted Design technology.

 

In addition to this most prestigious honor, each year CSA supports its members and recognizes their achievements by conferring numerous awards. For example, this year’s Millia Davenport Publication Award goes to Ann Lowe: American Couturier by Elizabeth Way (Rizzoli Electa, an imprint of Rizzoli New York), and the Betty Kirke Excellence in Research Award is given to Anne Bissonnette and Sherry Schofield for their Creative Design titled Zero Waste Thinking: Portrait Tunic and Palazzo Pants. The two Richard Martin Exhibition Awards go to Lee Alexander McQueen and Ann Ray: Rendez-Vous from Barrett Barrera Projects and Past and Present Lives of Upcycled Fashion by curator Kat Roberts at Cornell University. The Costume Design Award is given to Daniel James Cole for his work on Ariadne auf Naxos at Arizona Opera and The Howard Vincent Kurtz Emerging Theatre Artist Award is given to Kessler Jones for her designs for Clue at Michigan State University. This year’s CSA Entrepreneur Recognition Award goes to Tricia Camacho of The Patterned Seamstress LLC and Creative Costume Academy.

 

Along with honors and awards, CSA distributes grant money to a variety of individuals and organizations in the field. These include the CSA Stella Blum Student Research Grant, which has been given this year to Dyese L. Matthews for her research Fashioning Memories and Places: Black Women's Style in Harlem 1970-Present. The 2024 Angels Project Grant is given to The Howard County Historical Society in Maryland. Two Adele Filene Student Presenter Grants go to Constance Spotts and Paige Tomfohrde.

 

A full list of all of CSA’s grants, honors, and awards can be found below. They will be celebrated on Wednesday, May 22, 2024, during CSA’s 50th Annual National Meeting and Symposium in Washington, DC.


  • Costume Society of America Fellow Honor: Linda Baumgarten, Williamsburg, Virginia
  • CSA Entrepreneur Recognition Award: Tricia Camacho, The Patterned Seamstress LLC and Creative Costume Academy, Mocksville, North Carolina
  • CSA Costume Design Award: Daniel James Cole, Ariadne auf Naxos, Arizona Opera
  • CSA Richard Martin Exhibition Award, Large Organization: Lee Alexander McQueen and Ann Ray: Rendez-Vous, Barrett Barrera Projects, St. Louis, Missouri
  • CSA Richard Martin Exhibition Award, Small Organization: Past and Present Lives of Upcycled Fashion, Kat Roberts, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 
  • CSA Richard Martin Exhibition Award Commendation: Woven Identities: Ghanaian and Guatemalan Textiles in the Face of Globalization, Anne Bissonnette (PhD), Siming Guo (PhD) Elsie Osei (MFA), and Chiara Power (BA), University of Alberta
  • Millia Davenport Publication Award: Ann Lowe: American Couturier by Elizabeth Way with contributions by Heather Hodge, Laura Mina, Margaret Powell, Katya Roelse, and Katherine Sahmel (Rizzoli Electa, an imprint of Rizzoli New York)
  • CSA Howard Vincent Kurtz Emerging Theatre Artist Award: Kessler Jones, Clue, Michigan State University
  • CSA Stella Blum Student Research Grant: Dyese L. Matthews, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, Fashioning Memories and Places: Black Women's Style in Harlem 1970-Present 
  • Betty Kirke Excellence in Research Award Anne Bissonnette, University of Alberta, and Sherry Schofield, Florida State University, Zero Waste Thinking: Portrait Tunic and Palazzo Pants 
  • Scholars’ Roundtable: 1973 to 2073: The Past, Present, and Future of Dress Studies; Marilyn DeLong, University of Minnesota; Clarissa Esguerra, Los Angeles County Museum of Art; Monica Sklar, University of Georgia; Elizabeth Way, The Museum at FIT
  • CSA Travel Research Grant: Holly Durbin, Stitched Identities: American Menswear and the Art of Assimilation 
  • College and University Collection Care Grant: California College of the Arts, San Francisco, California
  • CSA Small Museum Collection Care Grant: Old Trails Museum, Winslow Historical Society, Winslow, Arizona
  • CSA Dependent Care Grant: Sarah Silvas-Bernstein
  • Adele Filene Student Presenter Grants: Constance Spotts, Iowa State University, and Paige Tomfohrde, Cornell University
  • CSA Angels Project: The Howard County Historical Society, Ellicott City, Maryland

 

Pictured above from left to right:

The Creative Design by Anne Bissonnette and Sherry Schofield titled Zero Waste Thinking: Portrait Tunic and Palazzo Pants, recipient of the Betty Kirke Excellence in Research Award; Mustard, Green, Peacock, White, Plum and Scarlet eavesdrop at the door of Boddy Manor’s grand dining room in Michigan State University’s production of Clue with costumes designed by Kessler Jones, recipient of the CSA Howard Vincent Kurtz Emerging Theatre Artist Award; cover of Ann Lowe: American Couturier by Elizabeth Way with contributions by Heather Hodge, Laura Mina, Margaret Powell, Katya Roelse, and Katherine Sahmel (Rizzoli Electa, an imprint of Rizzoli New York), recipient of the Millia Davenport Publication Award. 



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June 11, 2025
After thorough deliberation by our Membership Dues Taskforce and approval by the Board of Directors, Costume Society of America has established the following updated membership rates: Standard Membership: $130 (previously $95) Student Membership: $65 (50% reduction from standard rate) Emerging/Retired/Emeritus: $105 (approximately 20% reduction) CSA Patron (covers the discount for one Emerging or Retired/Emeritus membership): $155 CSA Champion (covers one student membership): $195 Museum/Association: $260 (includes 2 memberships) Business Associate: $380 (includes 2 memberships plus $200 value in promotion to CSA members) These rates reflect both the actual cost of providing member benefits ($125 per member) and adjustments for inflation since our last dues increase in 2012. The new structure maintains our commitment to accessibility through discounted rates for students, emerging professionals, and retired members. Implementation Timeline: The new membership rates will take effect on July 1 st Membership renewal dates will still operate on a rolling basis Members with renewals due before the July 1 st implementation will be processed at the current rates Your Membership Value: Your CSA membership continues to provide exceptional value, including: Access to our professional network Discounted registration for our annual symposium and regional events Subscriptions to Dress and Fashion Theory Professional development and grant opportunities Free access to popular webinars like Dress & Drinks and Conversations on Dress Looking Forward: The Board has committed to establishing a regular review cycle for membership dues every [3-5] years to avoid substantial increases in the future. This approach will allow for smaller, more predictable adjustments that keep pace with inflation and operational costs. Frequently Asked Questions: Q: Why is such a significant increase necessary? A: Our dues have remained unchanged since 2012, while the cost of operations has steadily increased. Rather than gradually adjusting rates over time, we've had to make a larger correction now to ensure financial sustainability. Q: What about regional subsidies for membership? A: The taskforce has recommended that regional leadership explore alternative ways to support members through scholarships, free event registrations, travel funds, and other programs rather than membership subsidies, which have been unevenly available across regions. Q: How was the new rate determined? A: The taskforce considered several factors: the actual cost per member ($125), inflation since 2012 (which would make the equivalent rate approximately $133), and the need to balance organizational financial health with member accessibility. Q: What if I can't afford the new rate? A: Those for whom the rise in member fees will cause a financial hardship can apply for a subsidy that will allow them to maintain their current fee level for one year. This will involve filling out a short form stating their need for a subsidy; we will not ask for any details about that need. Renewing members must complete the form and receive instructions before the membership is renewed; subsidies will not be provided after a membership has been renewed. If you have additional questions or concerns, please contact Vice President for Internal Affairs Katie Baker Jones at kathryn.jones@mail.wvu.edu . We value your feedback and are committed to addressing members' needs. Thank you for your continued support and understanding as we take this necessary step to ensure CSA's financial health and continued service to our community.
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