Painting with a Twist

Jill Lena Ford (left) and Emily Marko (right)

Chartiers Valley alumni and sisters Emily Marko and Jill Lena Ford wanted to find a way to give back to the Chartiers Valley art program – a program that impacted both of their lives when they were in school.

Today, the sisters have both made careers out of their passion for art. Emily (Chartiers Valley Class of 1995) is a graphic artist and visual problem solver, and Jill (Chartiers Valley Class of 1996) is a professional artist specializing in ‘organic mixed media’ paintings.

Emily and Jill are hosting a fundraiser at Painting with a Twist Pittsburgh West studio on Sunday, March 15 from 2 to 5 pm. The fundraiser will help raise money to hold an art show at the end of the year to showcase Chartiers Valley student work. In addition, Emily and Jill are hoping to raise enough through the fundraiser to offer an art scholarship to a Chartiers Valley senior.

“[My sister and I] were both lucky enough to have teachers at Chartiers Valley who influenced us to follow our creative paths,” said Emily. “We now want to do our part to give back to these upcoming artists by providing not only a top notch art show for the students to experience, but also give them a head start in their future with the scholarship award.”

The Pittsburgh themed fundraiser event offers guests the choice of two painting selections – “Starry Night Over Pittsburgh” or “City Lights.” Fifty percent of the proceeds will be donated to Chartiers Valley to help support the art show and scholarship awards.

The Chartiers Valley connection runs even deeper than the fundraiser hosts. The painting class will be taught by Chartiers Valley alumna Karla Gearhart, who is now an art teacher at Riverview School District. In addition, Michaela Maderic, a senior at Chartiers Valley, will also be there to assist painters during the event.

For Emily and Jill, hosting this fundraiser seemed like the perfect way to support the arts and their alma mater.

“Art is an integral part of learning and innovating,” explained Emily. “Creative arts play a large part in brain development, expanding our perspectives of the world, helping us to understand and express ourselves, and most importantly, push parameters of our intellect to solve the big problems of the world.”

In addition to their passion for the arts, the sisters look back at their time at Chartiers Valley fondly and recognize the role the faculty played in helping to shape who they have become.

“I had many inspirational teachers throughout my time at Chartiers Valley,” said Emily. “They recognized my passion for the creative arts and provided support in developing my technical and artistic skills. This gave me the experience and confidence I needed to focus on graphic design in college.”

“My years at Chartiers Valley helped me to foster my love of the arts and focus on my creative skills and talents,” added Jill. “With the support of my art teachers at CV, I had the knowledge, skill and confidence to follow my path in the arts.”

Registration for the event is currently open and the cost is $45 for the three hour class, which includes supplies and instruction. For more information or to register, call the studio at 412-787-7928 or register online at: http://www.paintingwithatwist.com/pittsburgh-west/

A special thank you to Emily Marko and Jill Lena Ford for organizing and hosting this fundraiser.