What’s one man’s trash is another’s artistic treasure – at least that is true for Hunterdon County Polytech Career and Technical School’s graphic design students Zoe Jane Kravetsky, Bella Hoffman and Morgan Vanselous.
The three seniors’ environmental awareness posters were selected to be included in Cabrini University’s 2022 Art + Effect High School Poster Exhibition, the sixth annual event of its kind.
Cabrini received 71 entries from 11 high schools in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. A panel of judges then chose 15 of the submissions for the exhibition based on originality, artisanship and thematic message. The Polytech students’ posters were displayed in the university’s Gorevin Gallery this winter, and they were honored at an opening reception and awards ceremony.
They spent hours sorting and photographing garbage to create artwork that supported this year’s environmentally conscious theme. Polytech graphic design instructor Cynthia Dailey even brought trash from home to class so her student, Kravetsky, could create a composting masterpiece.
“I used my teacher’s coffee grinds, banana peels, watermelon rinds, etc., to create an eye-catching poster,” said Kravetsky. “I really enjoyed being able to express my creativity and see how far I could push my ideas. I hope my artwork attracts and encourages people to work towards a cleaner environment for our present and our children’s futures.”
New Jersey’s recent plastic bag ban was the inspiration for Vanselous’ poster. She collected plastic bags, cut them apart, attached them to a Styrofoam ball, and suspended that from the ceiling. Valensous photographed the creation and used Photoshop to overlay an image of a globe to achieve the final effect.
“When people see my work, I hope they realize how plastic bags affect the environment and will decide to use reusable bags,” she said. “It was a challenge for me to be able to portray such a big message in so few details. I am happy with how I faced this challenge and I hope to keep pushing myself to do better.”
As an athlete, Hoffman sees plastic water bottles scattered on the pool deck and under bleachers. Her project focused on the effect of this waste. She gathered plastic water bottles and printed labels to wrap around them. Each label had a fact about the impact plastic water bottles have on the Earth.
“I hope that my poster inspires others to start recycling their water bottles and be more considerate of the environment,” said Hoffman. “I enjoyed getting to use my camera and set up a still photo to capture the image I pictured. Getting to use my camera for a project is always fun for me since I’m very passionate about photography.”
Dailey said her students spend three months working, critiquing and reworking their projects until they have their finished products. They make sure every detail is correct and elevates their posters. The foundation Dailey provides in her class also helps the quality of their work. In fact, Dailey has had students selected for the exhibition since the start of Art + Effect.
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