BROCKWAY, Pa. (EYT) – Every year, PennDOT invites students in area schools to add a little art to the plows that clear the roads. This year, students at Brockway Area Junior-Senior High School are working together to remind drivers to be careful.
(Students in Melanie Oknefski’s art class surround the plow they painted. Photo provided by Melanie Oknefski.)
The 2019 slogan is “Don’t rush in ice and slush.” Students have to incorporate the slogan into their designs. The school’s mascot had to be included in the mascot as well as original art.
Brockway senior Mariah Alanskas sketched out the design for the plow.
“I picked a bug car because they’re not good in the snow,” she said of the design. “I made the words in the slogan look like they were melting. It’s a snowy thing.”
Brockway art teacher Melanie Oknefski split her students into teams, asking them to interpret Alanskas’ design onto the plow. The plow was delivered to the school and moved into an open area behind the junior-senior high school. Alanskas’ sketch had to be interpreted to the shape of the plow, which added the complication of a curved overhang over the main blade to funnel the snow.
“They had to change my design a little,” Alanskas said. “Then we were in groups. There’s the priming crew, the spray-painting group, the group who cuts the stencil we created. At the end, we’ll put a clear coat on top of it to preserve it. It’s supposed to be anti-chip and all that.”
Not only will the plow be seen on the roads, Paint The Plow is a competition as well.
PennDOT will create a judges’ panel of individuals from the involved counties. They then pick a plow based on the creativity and the ability to incorporate the message into the design. PennDOT will also post pictures on the internet and allow users to vote for a favorite online. The winning school will show off their plow at an event.
“I’m really proud of the work the students did,” Oknefski said. “Even doing touch-ups, they were dedicated to making this look good. I can’t wait to see the plow out there clearing the roads.”
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