Melissa Krainer

Expression. Senior Rigby Miller’s artwork of a butterfly is a testament to the opportunities the art education department offers. The department’s effort was recognized in the second weekend of October. “At the PAEA conference in Pittsburgh, [PAEA] acknowledged all of the schools at their award ceremony who have achieved this [award] for the first time, and then schools who have gotten [it] for five years in a row and higher,” Curry said. (Courtesy of Kathryn Curry and Rigby Miller)

Bridges. Pierogies. Sports. Art. In Pittsburgh, art teachers Kathryn Curry and Olivia Gennaro accepted the Outstanding Visual Arts Community (OVAC) award on behalf of the AAHS art department at the Pennsylvania Art Education Association (PAEA) conference on Oct. 9-12.

“[The award] acknowledges programs within the state that have high achieving students and programs along with the support for those,” Curry said. “PAEA looks for rigorous and inclusive programs, highly accessible programs, highly visible programs. Underneath each of those topics are a bunch of sub-topics, for example, do you participate in art shows? Do you have administrative support? Are you seen on social media?”

The award was given to schools in the state for their commitment to providing visual arts education opportunities for all students.

“[PAEA looks for] pushing your students to the highest level possible, and whether they are achieving that,” Curry said. “This [award] is just specifically for the high school, so I know the junior high is going to be applying next year. They should be able to achieve the same. The elementary schools are going to be a work in progress, just because there’s only two elementary school art teachers for eight schools. They’re spread super thin, and sometimes they’re being pulled into coverage for other classes. We’re working on the elementary school [level]. For the high school, we have money to purchase items and materials for the students. We’re able to buy good quality materials for students to create good artwork, and anything else student-driven here.”

The OVAC award is given annually. This year, PAEA announced the award winners on the second weekend of October. Schools could send representatives to accept the awards at the PAEA conference in Pittsburgh. Those who received the award for the first time and those districts who had received the award for upwards of five years were recognized.

“As a department as a whole, it feels good to be validated,” Curry said. “Putting in all the hard work that we put in and not just being seen by the district, but by the state as a whole, and being acknowledged for our efforts [feels good].”

Art teacher Ronald Bowser thinks the award is as much a recognition of the department as the students.

“I think [the award] also shows the talent and the things that our students are capable of,” Bowser said.

Gennaro believes that this award could be the beginning of more art education on the elementary level in the district.

“We need to make sure [art education] is K-12, because it really starts with elementary,” Gennaro said. “I [have] taught [Kindergarten] through college. Without that support, students have to catch up. Middle school and high school do an awesome job catching the kids up, and you guys do an awesome job really succeeding, but they’re missing out at the elementary.”