News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
It is no secret to her peers that Sisters High School senior Leyah Jensen is an exceptional artist. Now her talents have been recognized by the top-ranked Rhode Island School of Design.
Jensen has accepted a $21,000 scholarship to the prestigious art school where she will pursue a bachelor of fine arts degree. The highly competitive school attracts the best art students in the world.
"It'll definitely be the hardest thing I've ever done, to every day put myself up against those people, Jensen said.
Jensen likes to experiment and her work is often abstract. She works in a variety of media and she said she is not sure whether she will ultimately settle on graphic arts or photography for her main career focus.
Jensen said she has been interested in art since early childhood; her preschool teachers told her mother she would grow up to be an artist. She has studied with art teacher Mike Baynes at Sisters schools for six years.
She believes the intensive technical study she will undergo at Rhode Island School of Design will help her further realize her artistic vision.
"I have all of these great things in my head, but they stay in my head because I don't really understand how to make them come out, Jensen said.
Jensen graduates in June and will head off to the East Coast in September. She says she's prepared for culture shock.
"It's a little scary, she said. "I think I can adjust. It's definitely different. Maybe I can introduce a little West Coast friendliness, show them what it's like.
Jensen is still working on scholarships to fund living expenses.
The artist's work is currently on display in the lobby at Sisters High School. She will add a series of works inspired by her reaction to the crisis in Kosovo.
For more information call 549-4045.
Jim Cornelius is editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans.” A history buff, he explores frontier history across three centuries and several continents on his podcast, The Frontier Partisans. For more information visit www.frontierpartisans.com.
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