from left: VJM seniors:
Kathleen Campbell, Preeti Shenoy and Lily Dineen
JEMS participate in PennDOT's Paint the Plow
by Cate Murway
Don’t Rush in Ice and Slush!
The Villa Joseph Marie JEMS are All About ART. They were invited to participate in the 2nd Annual 2019 PennDOT Paint the Plow competition, a community outreach program presented by the PA Department of Transportation/ Engineering District 6. The Paint the Plow Project began in 2015 and has since spread across the state. 2018 was the inaugural year for District 6. This program was opened to high schools in each of PennDOT District 6's five counties: Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia.
Each plow will be judged on creativity and ability to incorporate the designated safety message/theme —"Don't Rush in the Slush"—, so when the flakes fly, the snow will be flying off of the art.
What a truly colorful, unique way to showcase students’ artwork and encourage safe driving on the roadways! This is also a great opportunity to begin that awareness at an age where the students are just beginning to drive themselves. This PennDOT Paint the Plow competition additionally helps highlight the importance of taking precautions before traveling in wintry weather.
All entries will be judged by a panel of judges, the “Judges Pick”, who will vote on the plows in each county. Then there will be a "Fan Favorite" determined through a Facebook campaign that is open to the general public who are invited to vote for his/her favorite design.
The JEMS heARTfully accepted the challenge to adorn the blades and make a statement with art.
VJM Senior Elizabeth Ann “Lily” Dineen, her Art Club co- president Julia Noone, VJM ’22, and aspiring artist Shannon Rusnak, VJM ’21 along with their club team designed and created the original collaborative effort artwork. Their artistically styled design, inculcating the PennDOT 2019 statewide designated safety theme and slogan, was to be painted on a very unique canvas, a snow plow, by the JEMS art class students. This is really what can be called ‘Art in Action’.
Ladies….start your art!
Lily called an Art Club meeting and she and her fellow student members brainstormed ideas and Lily then combined the suggested imaginative sketch designs for this very non-mainstream venture.
“This was a different project for us. We had to consider the weather and it was a little more difficult painting on a plow but we all enjoyed doing it.”
The JEM students completed great work of mingling art with a message within a rather tight timeframe.
The VJM Art Club allows interested students of all years to work together and grow as artists, expanding their knowledge and expression in the Visual Arts.
VJM Art teacher/ Fine Arts Department Chair for the past 15 years, Ellen Brooks, was perceptibly proud of her students’ contribution to safety on the roads as she witnessed how they shared their talent with much enthusiasm and excitement. What a positive personal enrichment undertaking!
“This is the first time we’ve participated in a program like this, but it won’t be the last.”
Ellen offers guidance for the thriving communication among the art students, teachers and the community through awareness of area arts events that successfully draw everyone together.
Ms. Brooks is dedicated to the promotion of art at VJM and the surrounding areas.
Her multifaceted, robust lessons develop students’ critical-thinking skills, creative confidence, hands-on skills, visual literacy, self-esteem, and an appreciation of other cultures.
Having a potent culture of art at Villa Joseph Marie means everyone can get involved!
The students exhibit their creative confidence designing, drawing and painting banners and themes for school functions and stairways, as well as producing artwork using unique materials to stretch and grow their creativity.
“Arts education fosters bright, creative, and socially engaged students who will grow up to be our next leaders, parents, teachers, artists, and engineers. Their innovative ideas will shape industries; their creative thinking will find out-of-the-box solutions for a global society, and will provide students with a way to understand themselves, and have a sense of belonging.” — Jane Chu, PhD, National Endowment for the Arts.
sNOw kidding……. the JEMS are happily anticipating the spirit of winter along with a flake fest.
Traditionally, the plows from the Paint the Plow program are visible and in full service during the winter-weather months. The winning blades are used within the school’s community to enhance public awareness, promote safety, and foster greater appreciation of both Penn DOT and the school’s art program.
PennDOT wants everyone to vote for their favorite plow that has been decorated by local high schools. Help the JEMS get the highest number of likes. Watch VJM’s Facebook page for the link to vote.
Remember to allow for extra travel time to arrive to destinations safely.
Keep PAINTING the future bright. SLOW DOWN for the good of the town.
Villa Joseph Marie
1180 Holland Road
Holland, PA
215.357.8810
Recommend a “Spotlight”. E-mail vjmrun@yahoo.com
from left: VJM Juniors Madeline Hobson and Katherine Malloy
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