Three local student artists are earning recognition far beyond Middle Tennessee, but their work begins with something much closer to home. Through paintings, drawings, photography and film, Lucy Maris, Jimin Lee and Teague Kindred explore relationships, identity, and the stories hidden in everyday life. Their award-winning portfolios reveal not only remarkable talent, but also the perspective, resilience, and curiosity shaping their futures.
Lucy Maris: Finding Her Own Perspective
How many times have you told your child to clean their room? Well, you may want to reconsider, because Lucy Maris turned hers into an award-winning painting.
Clean Your Room, her oil painting of her own bedroom, won a Silver Key in the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards and was named "Best of the Best" in the Painting category at the Middle Tennessee Regional Student Art Exhibition (MTRSAE). The painting will also hang in the Frist Art Museum as part of the 11th Biennial Young Tennessee Artists Exhibition, on display from August 2026 through March 2027. Experimenting with perspective, Lucy used the vantage point of her own bedroom to draw the viewer into a space that is ordinary yet deeply personal.
"My bedroom is my space, and there's a bit of vulnerability that I was forcing myself, in a good way, to share," she says, "because I think vulnerability is really important in art."
Some of her most meaningful work begins with her siblings. Many of Lucy's pieces explore the ways they influence one another, shape each other's identities, and offer new perspectives on who she is. Like Sister, Like Brother, a mixed-media piece, was also recognized at MTRSAE. Lucy enjoys mixed-media for how it combines materials in unexpected ways, much like the layered relationships it portrays. Her gouache-on-wood piece, Back Float, is featured on our cover.
"I want my portfolio to be very joyful and show this sense of play that my siblings inspire," she says.
That focus has also led her to reflect on her own role in their lives. "I'm thinking about how I'm influencing them and in what ways they're looking up to me," she says. "It forced me to look at the ways they're influencing me and changing who I am."
Lucy carries with her the vulnerability her art and siblings helped shape, hoping to bring it into the new friendships and experiences ahead as she leaves Franklin to attend Bowdoin College this month.
@Lucy-Maris_art
Jimin Lee: Finding Her Voice Through Art
One of Jimin Lee's artworks now resides on the Moon. Yes, the Moon. The honor places her among a remarkably small group of artists, of any age, whose work has traveled beyond Earth, after her pencil drawing Overlook was selected for the Lunar Codex "Polaris Collection."
While that achievement may be the most extraordinary on her growing list of accolades, it represents only one chapter in an artistic journey rooted in identity, curiosity, and connection. Through her work, Jimin explores her Korean-American heritage, family, and the experiences that have shaped her understanding of herself and the world around her.
Her talent has earned recognition in some of the most prestigious competitions. Jimin was named a National YoungArts Winner in Visual Arts, placing among the top five percent of more than 13,000 applicants nationwide. Her work has been displayed at the U.S. Capitol after earning first place in the Congressional Art Competition, and it was exhibited at Sotheby's New York through the International Art Renewal Center Salon Competition.
Despite her résumé, Jimin remains grounded in what she loves: playing cello, spending time with family, and volunteering. She founded Artistry Explorers (artistryexplorers.org), which provides art instruction and art history education for underserved children, and Thousand Heart Portraits (thousandheartportraits.org), which provides complimentary hand-drawn portraits honoring local heroes.
"Volunteering and doing something for my community fills me with a lot of gratitude," she says.
Art's impact extends far beyond technique. It has taught her resilience, patience, and the confidence to persevere through mistakes.
"Through art, I can better articulate myself," she says. "It has given me confidence to express who I am. It has helped me see humanity differently and recognize the value in every person."
Looking ahead, Jimin hopes to explore the intersection of art, science and healthcare, combining creativity with service to others.
Teague Kindred: Capturing Stories That Matter
Most high school students are still discovering their passions. Teague Kindred is already earning recognition from the same organization behind the Emmy Awards and placing in global competitions for young filmmakers.
The student filmmaker and photographer received a Student Production Award from the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences for his documentary Fish Market. His film Lily was later named a Third Place Winner in the Film category of the Undergraduate SCAD Challenge, a global art and design competition that attracted more than 3,700 submissions from around the world.
"I like taking things at a slower pace and checking things out that most people miss," he says. "I notice things people overlook."
That ability to slow down and pay attention has become the foundation of his work. Whether he's filming a documentary, photographing a family, or capturing a landscape, Teague is drawn to the stories hidden in everyday moments, capturing emotion and authenticity rather than posed or manufactured moments. That instinct earned a Gold Key in the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards for his photo entitled Sheltered in the Rush.
Teague photographs landscapes, architecture, families, weddings, and senior portraits. While each project is different, he is most fulfilled when working directly with people. "I love getting to meet new people and make a memory for them," he says.
Despite his growing list of accolades, Teague stays grounded in the routines he loves: taking walks around his neighborhood and managing the lawn-care business he's worked hard to build. He describes himself as surprisingly organized, a trait that carries over into how he approaches his work behind the camera.
For Teague, the goal is not just to capture images, but to slow down enough to see what others miss. That passion is one he hopes to carry into a career in film and photography, turning moments into stories that last.
YouTube: @TeagueKindredStudios
teaguekindred.com