Student Artwork Selected for Central Office "Gallery"

HAGERSTOWN, MD (March 6, 2007) – Rob Hovermale, Music and Fine Arts Coordinator for the Washington County Public Schools, has coordinated the selection of twelve new pieces of artwork for the central office facility to showcase the work of students. The effort is part of the Master Plan and reinstates a practice that the Board of Education had established decades ago.

“Some of the artwork currently here has been up for at least 30 years,” said Rob Hovermale. “We are slowly getting these older pieces either back to the school of origin for showcase or back to the artists who are our former students.”

Student artwork is on display locally during late April and most of May at the Washington County Museum of Fine Arts. Works are also on display in state venues. The Treasury Building features a fall and spring show, and the “Underground in Annapolis” show features student artwork from around the state for the Legislative Session. In addition, Hovermale works with other area companies and venues to display art in their hallways or open spaces.

“We want to be able showcase the new artwork that our students are producing both here at the central office as well as in other community venues,” Hovermale said.

Hovermale said that the art teachers made the initial selections for the new artwork for central office, and then the finalists were selected from what they sent. The following artwork is now part of the central office gallery: Holly Haislip, Grade 4 (Clear Spring Elementary); Meghan Byers, Grade 1 (Clear Spring Elementary); Anna Olszewski, Grade 8 (Boonsboro Middle); Shelby Wallace, Grade 6 (Boonsboro Middle); Sidney Breidenstein, Grade 6 (Northen Middle); Ashley Malcolm, Grade 7 (Northern Middle); Aurlie King, Grade 7, (Boonsboro Middle); Shane Pettway, Grade 3 (Eastern Elementary); Jack Fowler, Grade 6 (Northern Middle); Gabriella Johnson, Kindergarten (Smithsburg Elementary); Jennifer Harvey, Grade 5 (Pangborn Elementary); and Kyle Geblein, Grade 5 (Old Forge Elementary).