STEP UP!

Art Teacher's Note:

I lived out west for sixteen years. The first two years were spent cutting my teeth as a teacher on an Indian Reservation. The final fourteen were spent running a Fine Arts & Educational Company.

When I returned to the area and accepted the Art Teacher position at UDAHS, the same school I graduated from, the same Art Studio I painted in, I realized there was a need; PUBLIC ART and GIVING BACK. That's where our students come in. I hope you enjoy their talents as much as I do each day. -Miss Nell

Public Art. You have the cows in Harrisburg, the stars in Elizabethville and soon the Converse Sneakers in local businesses. These sneakers are not just your classic basketball shoe. They are special, uniquely designed and painted by art students from Upper Dauphin Area High School. According to their art teacher, Miss Emily Nell, “The high school art students have been shining in the classroom. Now it’s time for them to shine in the community.” She has a passion for creating a platform that gives young people the opportunity to believe in themselves as they find their voice.

Step Up: Step up to making a difference involves ART, COMMUNITY, and GIVING BACK. Artists embellished shoes in “the style of” a famous artist, and authors wrote stories about good character traits we should all strive towards. For instance, Step up to GIVING. Like many other things, this Public Art project came to a sudden halt at the start of the pandemic. But that passion for all things creative lives on. Shoes and stories have been paired and are available for public viewing in local businesses. The shoe art will be sold during a LIVE AUCTION, all proceeds to benefit the Lykens Valley Children’s Museum, Elizabethville.

January 2020. Nell pitched the students her ultimate vision for the shoe project. Then she called on the students to pitch their specific ideas, to express their visions through story, design and acrylic studies. The students answered the challenge, and so began a massive public art project, involving thirty students in all: seventeen artists and seventeen authors.

Senior, Katie Engle’s shoe art goes Pop, Pop, BANG! She shares, “I chose to do Pop Art for my shoes because I wanted something bright and modern. I knew I would be able to make this style my own all while keeping the original concept. It took a lot of time to finish them but it was definitely worth the hard work. I feel my piece tells a story with each color and every paint stroke.”

The authors fulfilled a critical component of Upper Dauphin Area School District’s Discovery program which is designed to build character within the middle and high school students. Junior, Trinity Mummert, wrote a poem on PERSEVERANCE.

Just when she had lost hope in the world,

She found color in the darkest of places and

Beauty in the saddest of faces

And with these things she learned

Butterflies

Cannot see their wings

Cannot see their true beauty

But the rest of the world can

People

Are just like butterflies

Now, the caterpillar

Who once thought her life was over,

Opened up her wings

And took flight.

Step up to PERSEVERANCE

Nell’s vision would not have come to fruition without the help of Mr. Bryan Buddock, the high school Industrial Arts teacher, and his crew. When she pitched him the idea, he was ready to make it happen and constructed the pedestals which showcase the shoes.

March 2020. The Kick Off was a week away. Artists and authors were practicing what they wanted to share with the public opening night…and then the project was blind-sided by this one announcement, “Today, Governor Tom Wolf announced that all K-12 Pennsylvania schools will be closed for 10 business days effective Monday, March 16.

Step up to REVIVAL. “What we started, we must finish, and it has to happen this year,” says Nell as she views the row of beautifully embellished Converse. “Incredible talent cannot lay in a shoebox. Incredible talent must be showcased to shine, teach, touch hearts and shape minds.” There are a number of Seniors that graduated and are attending colleges in PA and beyond. There are a number of new seniors that will graduate this year. “The Pandemic has presented its share of challenges, however, the SHOE MUST GO ON and these students are just the ones to re-ignite the flame. It’s time to revive that momentum we worked so hard to create,” Nell says.

The project would not be complete without the partnerships and support of local businesses. Miss Nell shares, “Thank you to all the businesses that chose to host, who believe in our young people.” Ann Bruner, Manager of the Elizabethville Library is one such host. She shares, “The Library is delighted to partner with the high school art department on this project! I was privileged to talk with the students and see their work-in-progress, and I’m impressed with their talent, teamwork, compassion and engagement within the community. I look forward to seeing the finished products of their creativity! We hope everyone will come out to see their work - and celebrate and be inspired by our young people. This will be a great benefit to children and families of our area through the money raised for the Lykens Valley Children’s Museum.”

The exhibit doesn’t end virtually! You can visit your favorite SHOE ART at its host business locations; they include Lykens Valley Children’s Museum, Swing at Lykens Valley Golf Course, Elizabethville Area Library, Keystone Insurance, Northern Dauphin YMCA, Dunkin’ Donuts, Villa Schiano, Schiano's Berrysburg, Fry's Flooring, Mainstreet Mattress, Ned Smith Center, Dairy Queen, Klinger Lumber, Burger King, Shops on Market, Sweet Treats and Northern Dauphin Human Services. Pick up an interactive map from any display and begin a one-of-a-kind “hunt.” Find all 17! Family, friends and fans are encouraged to take pictures with as many shoes as possible- tag Upper Dauphin Area School District in each of the pictures. Also, follow us on Facebook.

Miss Nell concludes, “The energy is here. The students are ready. I can feel it. With guidance, they will grow, build character and S-H-I-N-E as they give back.