Our Scholars

Mina Dinesen is from Alexandria, Virginia, and is currently pursuing a double major in Studio Art (concentration in filmmaking) and Psychology. Her love for both subjects has informed her creative process, allowing her to combine the genres into artworks. Her works center around human consciousness, forming community, gender dynamics, and queerness. She often creates drawings, portraits, and videos for her personal friends and family, but has recently begun branching out to share her works with a larger audience. A set of commissioned art pieces by Mina can be viewed on UV A Grounds at Shannon Library inside Saxbys cafe. Outside of UVA, she has worked as an assistant art teacher for kids, and has spent a vast majority of her life thinking about and making as much art as possible. Mina is also involved in the theatre organization First Year Players at UV A. She looks forward to continuing making artworks for the Charlottesville community and beyond through the wonderful opportunities made available via the Miller Arts program.

Xingchen is an astrophotographer and cinematographer pursuing an Echols interdisciplinary major and a minor in Film. Having spent his childhood between San Marino, California, and Beijing, China, Xingchen has long held an interest in cultural diaspora, globalism, and the notion of nostalgia. This interest guides his gaze upward to what transcends all humanity — the stars, nebulae, and galaxies. Nostalgia has also endowed him with the ability to perceive the intricacies of the world, which he hopes to use to break down cultural barriers and foster mutual understanding. He believes that beyond nostalgia and the barriers of time and space, it is art that connects us all. He is immensely honored and grateful to be a member of the Miller Arts program, and is eager to collaborate with his fellow distinguished artists.

Clare is an artist in the College of Arts and Sciences from Little Silver, New Jersey. Since childhood, she has loved engaging with studio art and experimenting with a range of traditional media. Specializing in oil paint, Clare enjoys crafting detail-oriented landscapes, portraits, and still lifes. After coming to UVA, Clare began experimenting with digital media, exploring the fields of graphic design and animation. She is interested in examining the intersection between art and technology, bridging these fields through research and collaboration. She is also passionate about promoting creative engagement and advancing accessibility within the art world. Her involvement as an Early Visions student mentor through the Fralin Museum of Art has cultivated her passion for arts education and working with children. In her free time, Clare enjoys hiking, spending time with friends, designing layouts for V Mag, and playing volleyball.

From Virginia Beach, Lucas Piette discovered his passion for blending the worlds of art and technology. He went to two high schools: spending half his day at a Math and Science program and the rest at the Governor’s School for the Arts where he concentrated in visual arts. Pursuing a double major in Computer Science and Studio Art at UVA, he explores the intersection of analytical and creative thought through graphics, new media, and cinematography. His artistic journey has been marked by experimentation with diverse mediums, from fiber arts to animation, culminating in a focus on the expression of liminality and ambience in film and music. Outside of academics, Lucas is the social chair and a student DJ at WXTJ student radio and an active member of the Washington Society.

Helen is a Studio Art and Psychology major in the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Virginia. Helen has loved the arts since childhood. She finds great joy in teaching herself new creative skills such as piano, guitar, knitting, crochet, sewing, drawing, painting, and more. During high school, Helen’s love for art gradually shifted from a personal hobby to something she wanted to pursue in college and beyond. If she had to choose, her medium of choice would be oil painting, but she loves to experiment with other media. In her free time, Helen loves to go on sunrise hikes, drink black tea while reading a good book, upcycle clothes, and spend time with her friends and family.

Jesper Braley is a character designer and animator who has loved art since his first introduction to a studio setting: during the fourth grade in his hometown of Vienna, Virginia. However, he only recently realized exactly how deep this passion runs. Jesper’s artistic practice began with a heavy focus on technique and still-lifes. As he gained confidence in the more technical aspects of drawing, he became more and more interested in using his skills to create stories and characters. In the future, Jesper hopes to work on an animated show like the ones that most inspire him, most notably among these The Owl House by Dana Terrace. The summer of 2022, Jesper spent a month immersing himself in the art world via the CalArts program called High-Touch Animation. There, he created comics, designed characters, and learned how to storyboard and pitch his own animated series. All throughout, students received feedback from professors who had worked on industry hits such as Toy Story, Bug’s Life, and Futurama. Only after experiencing such a rich creative environment did Jesper realize that art is something he wants to pursue a serious career in. As a result, he has been on the lookout for more opportunities to connect with other creatives, finally leading him here: to the Miller Arts Scholars community. Long story short, Jesper is beyond honored and excited to be here.

Ava is a visual artist studying Commerce and Studio Art. She spent her childhood with a sketchbook in tow and paint on her clothes. Creating art has made her life vibrant and she enjoys sharing art’s benefits with others. As an assistant art teacher in high school and now as an Early Visions mentor at UVA, she loves watching smiles light up children’s faces when they discover the beauty they are capable of creating. She is also a weekly volunteer at Ix Art Park, a non-profit in downtown Charlottesville whose mission is to empower the community through creativity. Through experiences like these and her studies at UVA, she is exploring how to combine business and art to scale art’s positive impact and inspire people to create, collaborate, and flourish. As a Miller Arts Scholar, she is excited to engage with and learn alongside other students also pursuing their art with purpose and passion.

Jolinna is a Studio Art student at the University of Virginia concentrating in Cinematography. With experience in working with both traditional film and HD cameras, Jolinna likes exploring realism, cultural identity, relationship dynamics, and love in her work. Films she has worked on have been selected by the Virginia Film Festival and screened at the McGuffey Art center. She has also been involved in the Adrenaline project and works with Lighthouse Studios as a freelance editor. Other than video, Jolinna also enjoys creative writing and is also a prospective English Major.

Grace Sellers is a Studio Art major from Bluemont, VA. Grace discovered her passion for studio art after taking art classes at UVA. While she recently discovered her love for studio art, art has been a part of her life for a long time. She grew up dancing and attended a pre-professional ballet program at an arts high school where she was surrounded by a diverse group of artists. Now, she is exploring different methods of art making. In particular, she is interested in printmaking. Grace is looking forward to meeting other artists and can’t wait to immerse herself in all that the Miller Arts Scholars Program has to offer.