Balancing art, science and faith

As a chemistry major and visual art minor at Lenoir-Rhyne University, Elise Prouty ’26 is focusing her independent research requirement on an odd but gruesome historical fact.

“I’m looking into the synthesis of Mummy Brown, which was a color of paint that they made from actual ground-up mummies, all the way back to the 16th century,” she explained. “I’ve found graphs and analysis of what’s in a lot of paintings from the last 400 years and whether they contain mummies, basically human remains. For example, it’s rumored that ‘Liberty Leading the People’ – which appeared on a Coldplay album cover 180 years later – contains Mummy Brown.”

Since 1964 – when the last manufacturer literally ran out of mummies – all tubes of Mummy Brown paint have been synthetic. Still, building a research project at the intersection of chemistry, art, history and ethics is the type of work that drew Prouty to transfer to Lenoir-Rhyne after completing two years at Catawba Valley Community College (CVCC), where she was a member of the honor society Phi Theta Kappa.   

“It’s a cool area of study that brings together so many of my interests. No matter the time period, it’s important that we can create and enjoy art without having to make moral sacrifices,” Prouty shared. “Since I’ve been here at LR, I’ve felt like my classes were almost tailored for me. I was admitted to the Fritz Honors College, which is a fantastic opportunity and also very supportive. I feel enriched here.”

While Prouty chose to study chemistry in preparation for her long-term goal of attending medical school and specializing in pediatrics or pulmonology – or pediatric pulmonology – she stumbled upon her passion for painting while rounding out her general education requirements at CVCC.

“I had some humanities credits, and I said, ‘I like painting. I'll just take painting.’ And I fell in love with oil painting. Then I took sketching the next semester. I really enjoy putting pen to paper, paint to palette. It's something I didn't realize I had a talent for,” she said. “I decided to minor in visual art because I think it’s important to hone a craft, a piece of me that isn't going to be expressed in my career, but rather through my hobbies. I feel like having that balance can only help my studies and my career over time.”

With her academic credentials and passion for learning, Prouty had her pick of options when choosing a four-year institution where she could complete her bachelor’s degree. The same values motivating her to study safe and ethical paint compounds led her to LR.

“I wanted to attend a private Christian institution,” she explained. “I felt I would have a better learning experience in a place where the values aligned with my own, where I could relax a little bit.”

So far, Prouty has found the balance of academic rigor, artistic expression and strong personal values that she was looking for, and thanks to the Bear Bound program and the Office of Admission, the transfer process has been smooth.

“You can’t be afraid to ask questions,” she advises. “Anything that helps you smooth the process is worth knowing about, and so many people are here to help you make college the experience you want it to be.”