Those who make a stop at the Peter J. Camiel Turnpike Service Plaza located near the Morgantown exit of the Pennsylvania Turnpike will be able to view a newly installed art piece created by students from Twin Valley High School (TVHS). The artwork, which is a series of glazed ceramic mosaics, highlights historical and natural sites in the region, including French Creek State Park, Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site, the Daniel Boone Homestead and Crow's Nest Preserve, as well as local wildlife.

This is the 12th piece created in conjunction with Art Sparks, a program by the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts (PCA) and Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PTC), which seeks to bring student-created artwork highlighting the local area to service plazas across the PTC's 564-mile system.

"All 12 (art installations) have been magnificent, but they have all been unbelievably different from each other," stated Mark Compton, CEO of the Pennsylvania Turnpike, during an unveiling ceremony held on May 15 at the service plaza. "Eighty thousand travelers enter this facility every year. Most of them are continuing on (the turnpike) to their destination. We wanted to bring a little bit of what is happening outside into this plaza, and you have done a magnificent job of showcasing what is beyond the fence."

Karl Blaschke, PCA executive director, congratulated the students on the project. "What I love about this work is that it tells the story of a place and the communities in this region," he said. "You helped give a sense of pride to all of us."

Other speakers included Rep. Paul Friel; Patrick Winters, superintendent of the Twin Valley School District; and William Clements, TVHS principal, who also credited the students for their efforts, along with TVHS art teacher Heather McCord.

Leading the project was professional teaching artist Jessica Liddell. "There is so much beautiful detail in these mosaics," she stated. "The students drew all of the designs, came up with the concepts and they rolled out clay, textured clay and worked diligently to research the wildlife depicted. It was a labor of love. We can make beautiful things when we all work together."

Student Michael Hawk said that he enjoyed working alongside other students as well as McCord and Liddell. "One of my favorite things about this project was being able to exercise my creativity alongside our amazing team that sought to create a finished project that was unique," he said.

He added that he also learned a lot about the surrounding area. "This project was a great way to tell the story of the community and a great opportunity to tell people about places that make our area unique that are just passing through," he said. "We showcased what made the greater Twin Valley area and what has shaped the story of this place and to appreciate the everyday things we have found all around us."

Student Paige Clipsham, who plans a career in art, also commented about learning about the area and the teamwork required to complete the project. "One of my favorite memories was simply talking with the people I was working on it with as we were cutting tiles," she said. "All of our hard work can now be viewed by thousands of people."