Boyd’s Station Announces 2026 Project 306.36 Visual Storytelling Grant Recipients
HARRISON COUNTY, KY — Boyd’s Station is pleased to announce Maddie McCuddy and Lylee Gibbs as the recipients of the 2026 Boyd’s Station Project 306.36 Visual Storytelling Grants. These annual grants support college photojournalism students documenting Harrison County, Kentucky, as part of the ongoing Project 306.36 visual archive.
Maddie McCuddy, a recent graduate of the University of Montana with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism, is the recipient of the $3,000 Ed Reinke Visual Storytelling Grant.
McCuddy is currently a staff photographer with Mobile Traveler Studios and the Hogslop String Band in Nashville, Tennessee. She was named a Top 10 finalist in the 2025 College Photographer of the Year (CPOY) competition. McCuddy will begin her work in Harrison County in July 2026.
“Curiosity is what makes me want to document new people and places around the world,” McCuddy said. “It’s what drives my work in visual documentation and why I want to document the people and places of Harrison County. I want to keep learning about different communities—their values, what shapes them, and how they live.”
Lylee Gibbs, pursuing a degree in photojournalism at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, is the recipient of the $3,000 Tim Dillon Visual Storytelling Grant. Gibbs will begin documenting Harrison County on June 1, 2026.
Gibbs is currently the Editor-in-Chief of The Daily Egyptian in Carbondale, Illinois, and previously served as a 2025 Newsroom Visuals Intern at St. Louis Public Radio. She will graduate from Southern Illinois University Carbondale in May 2026 before arriving in Kentucky.
“I grew up in a news desert and spent my entire college career in one,” Gibbs said. “I’ve seen the distrust of media in rural areas and the stories that go untold. That understanding prepares me to respectfully connect with members of the Harrison County community who may be hesitant to have their stories heard.”
Please welcome Maddie McCuddy and Lylee Gibbs—the eighth class of accomplished photojournalists to participate in Boyd’s Station Project 306.36 since its inception in 2018—to Harrison County, Kentucky. Project alumni have gone on to become professional photographers, writers, and artists across the country and continue to give back to the program and community.
The Boyd’s Station Project 306.36 Visual Documentary Program is an annual archive initiative dedicated to documenting the people and places of Harrison County, Kentucky. The program creates a lasting visual archive while providing world-class mentoring and guidance to the next generation of visual storytellers.
Boyd’s Station thanks the Clyde N. Day Foundation and Clifford Craig Heritage for their continued funding and support, which make these highly competitive grants and fellowships possible each year.
Additional thanks go to Nikon Professional Services and PhotoShelter for their ongoing support and services provided to students participating in Project 306.36.
To learn more about Project 306.36 and the namesakes of these visual storytelling grants—Ed Reinke and Tim Dillon—visit:
www.boydsstation.org/about-306
Project 306.36 Visual Storytelling Grants Alumni:
https://www.boydsstation.org/alumni
The Boyd’s Station Project 306.36 Visual Archive:
https://30636.photoshelter.com/index