Jessie Greenwell

Jessie Greenwell is definitely into heavy metal – just take a look at her artwork “Journey,” a 10-foot long piece created with half-inch square-stock steel rods, literally braided together with the help of a oxyacetylene torch at temperatures approaching 6,000 degrees F.

“I love working in metal,” grins the young sculptor, who is currently finishing up her BFA in Towson’s Department of Art + Design, Art History, Art Education. “It’s the best medium for expressing my concepts.”

Others apparently agree. “Journey,” which Greenwell created collaboratively with fellow student Jake Zimmerman, won third prize at the University of Delaware’s 2015 “Art in the Garden” outdoor sculpture exhibition. What’s more, she was also awarded the 2015 Beulah M. Price Memorial Scholarship from Towson University's College of Fine Arts and Communication. “I was completely blown away,” she says. “It was such a huge honor!”

Greenwell believes that the range of opportunities offered by her program have accelerated her creative growth as an artist. 

“ I remember my jaw dropped when I first walked into the metal studio. It was breathtaking! ”

At the same time, she’s learning how to market herself and her work as a professional artist, thanks to the support of her professors. “As working artists themselves, they are totally engaged with their students and want to help us make our careers happen,” Greenwell says. She also points to the department’s efforts to provide real-world experience for students through group shows, internships, gallery invitationals and student clubs.

"There’s a whole network here to support me,” she says. “I’m really happy about my decision to come to Towson.”