2 from SV named to youth arts program
JACKSON TWP — Pittsburgh's Andy Warhol Museum selected two Seneca Valley High School students, senior Mariah “Storm” Harvin and junior Grace Hilling, to participate in the Youth Arts Council program for the 2018-19 school year.
“Grace is interested in animation and illustration,” said Seneca Valley High School art teacher Jason Woolslare. “She's still up in the air. She still has another year to sort of figure that out.”
Woolslare said Storm plans on studying fashion design.
“She's currently kind of working on her own brand or line of clothing,” he said. “She might apply to go to Handmade Arcade, a local festival for makers and creators that have all handmade items for sale.”
Woolslare said he promoted the program, in which Seneca Valley has had students accepted for the last three years, in all of his classes.
“The idea (of the program) is to become more involved in the museum activities and participate in hands-on activities and behind-the-scenes museum operations,” Woolslare said.
The students who applied were recommended by the Seneca Valley's high school art program before going through an interview process in which they discussed why they wanted to be involved in the program, their passion for the arts and what they would like to do after high school.
Woolslare described the program as a “high commitment” because students involved are required to spend from 5 to 8 p.m. every Tuesday at the museum.
Woolslare said the Youth Arts Council is a “great resume builder or college application booster for anyone who wants to pursue a career in visual art or design or any type of creative field.”
He also said all Seneca Valley students who participated in the program in previous years are either in art-related fields or studying some form of art in college, including three graduates at Edinboro University and two at the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore.
“We always have students that are pursuing different careers in the arts,” Woolslare said, “and we have really a strong success with outside art shows that the students are entering in and doing really well with.”
Youth Arts Council is described as a leadership program that “invites a small team of high school students from across Pittsburgh to go behind the scenes, collaborate with museum staff and artists, create art and develop public programs and events for other teens.”
