Kathy, Student

I’ve been a student of Denise’s for well over ten years, probably having taken my first class in the first or second grade. For me her basement studio became more than a classroom. When I was little I was so excited to go to class after school! My love for art and her program only grew over time as I progressed and made more friends with each year’s new additions. Each week brought something new, everything was (and still is) a teaching moment. But there is so much more to Scribble and Sculpt than just that. As the years went on, Denise was there for me as more than a teacher. When family life and school were too much to handle, her studio was a safe place for me to blow off steam on the canvas, vent with my art friends, or just plug into some music and escape into my work. When I was stressing over my college portfolio, she opened her home to me, letting me stay upwards of five hours a day and on WEEKENDS… she doesn’t even have classes then! She has the biggest heart and a true gift for teaching, and I have been privileged beyond comprehension to be her student. She has gone above and beyond the call of duty to help me get where I am today. Where is this, you ask? Sitting on a stack of college acceptance letters! I have received Deans’s Scholarships from a list of amazing schools, ranging from arts-specific colleges to major universities such as Drexel, Hofstra, Stevens, NJIT, Rutgers, NYU’s Tisch, and more. I have also received multiple scholarships, including the Dean’s and Presidential scholarships, from Ringling College of Art and Design, Pratt Institute, and Parsons. Ringling is the #1 animation school in the country, and Pratt and Parsons are world-renowned for their student’s work. My time as Denise’s student in her classroom may soon be coming to a close, but I will most certainly be back for visits and to help in the classroom. I grew up in her studio, and she’s so much more than “my art teacher.” She is a mentor, a counselor, an idol, an inspiration, and a friend.