Covington Partners
MaryJane Reynolds’ passion for art is blossoming into a small business. The rising senior at Holmes High School is learning how to navigate the business world by determining what art sells best and how to connect with customers.
She sold some of her artwork at Maifest in Covington after securing a booth in the Children’s Entrepreneur Market. MaryJane’s father has always pushed her to find opportunities to share her artwork; he sent her a Facebook page about the children’s market.
Holly Simkonis, afterschool program coordinator at Holmes High School, was excited to see MaryJane’s artwork at Maifest.
“She was there face painting and selling her artwork,” Holly said. “She had her own booth set up and did a great job.”
MaryJane’s family has always encouraged her interest in art. Her mom enjoyed arts and crafts and bought kits for MaryJane when she was younger; her father and uncles shared their love of drawing with her.
MaryJane took her first art class in fourth grade at Sixth District Elementary School and was hooked. She continued to explore art through online videos and excelled in art classes at Holmes Middle School. However, she didn’t really start to take art seriously until high school.
“I realized I was good at it,” she said. “I think school was a big inspiration.”
At the high school, she has taken an art or photography class every year and been involved in the art club in the afterschool program. This coming year, she’ll take a visual arts class through the International Baccalaureate (IB) program at Holmes. She enjoys painting, drawing, photography, and pottery. She’s attending an art camp at Holmes this summer.
“She is an excellent student and a very capable artist,” said Elizabeth Iskra, an instructor with the Baker Hunt Art and Cultural Center, who led the afterschool program’s art club this past semester. “She was a leader and an inspiration in the club.”
MaryJane has a wide-range of art interests and an ability to probe things on her own without needing direction, the art teacher said. MaryJane excelled at projects even outside her current level of expertise.
“She was great at all those [art mediums], and she’s got a fabulous fashion sense,” Elizabeth said. “I know she’ll go far.”
MaryJane has sold commissioned work and is doing a lot of face painting at local festivals this summer. She was at the Sun Valley Bluegrass Festival at A.J. Jolly Park in Campbell County.
After high school, MaryJane would like to go into art therapy and possibly have an art business on the side.
Covington Partners envisions a future in which all Covington children realize the promise of the full potential. It works with the Covington Public Schools to promote positive youth development through collaboration.
