April 24, 2023 - Bedford, PA
The Pennsylvania Council on the Arts (PCA) and Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PTC) unveiled newly installed student artwork at the South Midway Turnpike Service Plaza. Students from Chestnut Ridge High School created the piece, which is a glazed ceramic mosaic depicting area landmarks . QR codes that link to custom videos about each location are incorporated throughout the piece. This is the 11th artwork created in conjunction with Art Sparks, a PCA and PTC partnership to bring student-created, locally relevant artwork to service plazas across the PTC's 564-mile system."Art Sparks projects, like this beautiful piece unveiled today, are a fantastic way to give our students an opportunity to use creative thinking, problem solving, and teamwork - all of which will help them as innovators today and in the years ahead," said Karl Blischke, PCA Executive Director. "The vocational and technology students' contributions to this piece further illustrate the broad applicability of creative skills.""The arts have such a positive impact on our lives, and it is always a joy to see the vision of young artists across the Commonwealth," said Mark Compton, PTC CEO. "Countless visitors to this service plaza for years to come will not only get to enjoy the fruits of their labor but get to learn more about the history of Bedford County and the landmarks the Chestnut Ridge students artists believe tell the story of their hometowns."Speakers Include:Mark Compton - CEO PA TurnpikeRepresentative Jesse Topper - 78th District serving Bedford and Fulton CountiesKarl Blischke - Executive Director, Pennsylvania Council on the ArtsBob Zabrosky - ArtistMark Kudlawiec - Chestnut Ridge School District SuperintendentMadelyn Kelley - Chestnut Ridge High School Art TeacherTehya Dibert- 12th grade student
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