PA Turnpike Commission and PA Council on the Arts Unveil Student-Created Artwork at Cumberland Valley Turnpike Service Plaza
Carlisle, PA… The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PTC)
and the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts (PCA) unveiled new artwork, designed
and created by students at Big Spring Middle School. This art installation,
created through Art Sparks, a partnership between the PTC and the PCA’s Arts in
Education residency program, is composed of eight painted quilt designs mounted
both inside and outside the Cumberland Valley Service Plaza.
Coordinated
through the PCA’s regional Arts in Education partner, Jump Street, students
worked with teaching artist, Denise Hoke, and art teacher, Laura Shambaugh, to
design and create the artwork. These pieces showcase the art of barn quilts
that are part of the Cumberland Valley and represent the fifth in the Art
Sparks series which have been installed along the 550-mile PA Turnpike.
The unveiling
event, which took place at the Cumberland Valley Service Plaza, drew
individuals from the community to help celebrate, including students, families
and local and state officials.
“We are very
excited to be here today to unveil these inspired quilt patterns that represent
the Cumberland Valley,” said PTC CEO Mark Compton. “Each of the Art Sparks’
installations represents the region around the service plaza area, but most
importantly, it showcases the imagination and talents of young people in
Pennsylvania.”
“Art Sparks
presents students with the unique opportunity to create permanent artwork for
public display,” said Karl Blischke, PCA executive director. “Not only did this
experience help you grow as artists, but you’ve commendably highlighted your
community’s many assets and landmarks for Turnpike travelers. I applaud you all
for bringing this impressive installation to life.”
“We are so very
proud of our students for the way in which they have shared their love of the
arts with others,” said Clarissa Nace, Big Spring Middle School
Principal. “We are also very appreciative to all of you who
have ignited and fostered this project. As we say in education,
through this experience you have touched the lives of many students.”
“With our area’s rich agricultural roots, the classes
opted to do a quilt-pattern theme,” explained Laura Shambaugh, “Once that
decision was made our 6th, 7th and 8th grade art students went to
work to create the intricate and colorful patterns that you see here today.”
Art Sparks is a
partnership between the PTC and the PCA. The program pairs K-12 art students
and teaching artists from the PCA’s Arts in Education roster with the goal to
install a local, student-created artwork in every service plaza, system-wide,
over the next five to eight years. Schools near each respective service plaza
host 20-day teaching artist residencies led by a local PCA teaching artist.
Students work with the artist and members of the community to create artwork
that reflects the region. For more information on Art Sparks, visit http://www.paturnpike.com/artsparks or http://www.arts.pa.gov/Pages/Art-Sparks.aspx.