An eye for art, scarves drives senior's success
By Pamela Willis
Worthington Suburban News
April 14, 2004
Persistence, patience and being a "list person" paid off for Linworth Alternative student Jen Adrion, who catapulted her artwork to a higher level by receiving the 2004 Governor's Award of Excellence.
Adrion's pen-and-ink drawing, titled Accessorize, was selected to be placed in the Top 25 of winning artwork in the 2004 Ohio Governor's Youth Art Exhibition.
It will be displayed with other pieces of student art in an exhibition to be held from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday through May 20 at the James A. Rhodes State Office Tower, 30 E. Broad St. in Columbus.
"Accessorize is a direct observation drawing of a rack of scarves hanging in my room," Adrion said. "I did the piece in pen and ink and marker, then framed it in a handmade wooden frame."
Adrion said her drawing is 14-by-21 inches.
Accessorize was selected from almost 12,000 different works, entered from more than 1,000 different high schools in Ohio, according to the Youth Art Exhibition Web site, www.govart.org.
The entries were narrowed down to the top 2,500, then state jurors selected just 300 for the actual exhibition, with 25 of that 300 chosen to receive the Governor's Award of Excellence.
The Youth Art Exhibition is now in its 33rd year, and is "dedicated to the educational and artistic advancement of our talented young people," according to the Web site.
Adrion's home school is Thomas Worthington, and she is technically a junior. She will graduate one year early after her classes at Linworth, so she can be regarded as a senior, and eligible for the scholarships in the competition.
More than 30 art schools generally offer scholarships to seniors who are winners in the competition, according to the Web site.
The scholarships and the excellence awards will be given at a brunch banquet at the Rhodes State Office Tower on Sunday.
"I entered artwork last year, but didn't place at all," Adrion said. "But this year I've become more serious about my art, and one of my goals was to place in the top 25 in the competition and I'm very pleased I could reach that goal."
Art has been a lifelong interest for Adrion.
"I have a strong interest in the graphic arts, and hope to attend an arts college to major in graphic design," Adrion said. "I've been making art on the computer since grade school and I am also interested in painting, so both of those interests have gone into my work."
Adrion is working on a portfolio for her Advanced Placement Studio Class.
"The body of my work now is in working on using power line imagery, which is basically, using images of power lines that are on the street, in different ways," Adrion said. "I'll submit my AP portfolio to the college board. I've been accepted at Columbus College of Art and Design, and an art school in Maryland. I plan on working on my drawing and painting over the summer, and then I'll take it from there and decide where to attend college."
As far as advice to other students interested in art, Adrion believes in setting high goals.
'They should set unrealistically high goals and see how far they can go," Adrion said. "I'm a list person and this competition was on one of my big lists. I believe I achieved my goals because I wrote them down. I would tell other students to just keep on making art."
Adrion is also the network administrator and Web site designer for Linworth.
News photo by Kelsey Rollins
Jen Adrion works on a painting Thursday afternoon.