Red radishes have Jennifer seeing green

Art is a relative thing, and it seems nearly impossible to determine the value of art. But in the case of Jennifer Braunstein,
one of her drawings earned a $5,000 scholarship to the Memphis College of Art.

When Jennifer, a senior at Maryville High School, completed a colored pencil drawing of radishes for her senior art teacher, Jeanie Parker, she said she wasn’t expecting much. Jennifer said she was pleasantly surprised after winning the art competition at Maryville High School as well as second place in the scholarship show at the Knoxville Museum of Art. The school art competition was judged by professional artist judges and included a variety of different works, not just drawings.

Jennifer is currently finishing her portfolio to submit to colleges. Savannah College of Art and Design is her first choice and Memphis College of Art is second. Her portfolio includes realism projects, drawings and other works from her high school art classes. Jennifer has already been accepted to Savannah College of Art and Design.

Jeanie Parker has been Jennifer’s art teacher for the past four years and has seen her develop as an artist. "Jennifer has a real sense of line quality and has very sensitive observation skills. She notices details that others wouldn’t notice," Parker said. "The talent was already there. I just showed her the techniques to use and the placements. I am fortunate to have lots of talented students."

This is Parker’s seventh year at Maryville High. She has also taught art in Memphis in past years.

When asked about her future aspirations, Jennifer listed a number of interests within the art field. She is most interested in studying illustration and design. Her strength is drawing, but she also displays talent in sculpting. She would also like to learn about printmaking and industrial design. She originally considered studying fashion design, but she said it doesn’t prove an artist’s true talent.

Jennifer said she first showed interest in art at a young age and learned a lot initially from her mother. As she got older, she was self-taught and then started taking art classes at school.

She found herself self-competing with other students, which has resulted in great success in her artistic ventures. It appears Jennifer’s drive, determination, talent and taste for competition have really paid off for her artistically.

Memphis College of Art (MCA) is accredited by Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and is an accredited member of the National Association of Art and Design. Courses are offered in the fields of drawing, computer arts, ceramics, graphic
design, liberal studies, photography, etc.

Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) has a full-time enrollment of about 5,800 students and offers degrees in the areas of art, music and design. It is a private non-profit college, and the tuition ranges from approximately $26,000-$30,000 depending on whether you are an in-state student or whether you live on or off campus.