UpDate - Vol. 12, No. 13, Page 3                       
December 3, 1992                                       
Student designer combines artistic talents, business sense
                                                       
     While most students may wonder how they will profit from their
education, Jennifer Bennett has already begun to do so. Recently, the
senior from Delaware started her own business selling hand-crafted
jewelry and fashion accessories to area stores.              
     Bennett's pursuit of both a bachelor of fine arts degree in
metals and a degree in business administration has given her the right
combination of artistic training and business savvy. Her products 
include abstract silver brooches and earrings, as well as hair
acessories, such as barrettes, headbands and combs, some made with
dried or silk flowers.                                       
     She prices her products between $10 and $20, a price range she
feels someone on a modest budget like hers could afford. The designs
are also based on practical needs. Bennett said one barrette design
she sells is a copy of something she made for herself to match a dress
for a wedding.                                               
     Her interest in designing jewelry began five years ago while
recuperating at home after having her wisdom teeth pulled.   
Dissatisfied with a watercolor sketch she had done, she tore it up
into small pieces. The pieces, she said, reminded her of jewelry
designs. She spent the next two days reorganizing the scraps of paper
and putting backings on them.                                
     Bennett's work has appeared in juried art shows across the
country. She is especially proud of being part of last summer's Metals
Now 1992 exhibition at the Downey Museum of Art in Los Angeles. The
show, which featured metal in different art forms, marked Bennett's
first professional competition.                              
     Although she enjoys doing formal shows, Bennett said art should
not be restricted to galleries. Describing her products as "sculpture
on a small scale," she said she designs her work like sculptures that
can be viewed from all different angles.                     
     The job of being sole proprietor of a business is 
multidimensional. Bennett must act as her own sales person, designer,
marketing strategist, accountant and customer service representative.
She said she spends approximately 10 hours a week running the
business, in addition to taking 15 credit hours of course work.
     Her business duties have not distracted her from her class work.
She said she likes the flexibility of her schedule as a student and
uses what she describes as "every nook and cranny of time" to run 
errands such as stocking up on materials or delivering an order.
     Bennett said, despite her youth, she been treated with respect by
the buyers she has met.                                      
     Her designs are currently available at Grassroots in Newark, 
Winterthur Gallery in Greenville and Michael Christopher Designs in
Wilmington. In the future, she plans to extend her market out of the
local area.                                                  
     When asked how she planned to achieve her goals, Bennett said she
will keep on being persistent. "A winner never quits and a quitter
never wins," she said with a smile.                          
                                        -Casye Launer