SWAMPSCOTT — High school art teacher Erin Grocki wants her students to not only create art, but to contribute to their community.
Grocki had her ninth grade class compete in the Swampscott Commission on Disability’s logo contest and they had about two weeks to come up with a design. Three winners were announced during a commission meeting on Thursday. Priya Cooper placed first, Maria Swanson took second and Annabella Overbaugh placed third.
“As a teacher I am always trying to find ways to help my students figure out how to view the world and interpret new ideas,” Grocki said. “I think, overall, my students were very successful in this project.”
Cooper said she enjoyed working on this project because it was a cool way to interact with the community. She and her classmates researched logos online to use as references, created thumbnails and sketches of their own interpretations, and went to work on their designs.
“I really wanted to make something that was inclusive to all people with different disabilities by using inclusive words within the logo,” Cooper said. “I’m proud of my work but I wasn’t really expecting any of this.”
Cooper received a citation, a cupcake, and a $300 prepaid gift card on Thursday when she was announced as the first prize winner. Swanson went home with a $150 gift card and a citation and Overbaugh with a $100 gift card and a citation.
Grocki said the logo competition was a way to encourage her students to work on various ways to problem solve. Art gives them the opportunity to look at things with a fresh perspective, she said.
Trisha Malphrus, chair of the Commission on Disability, said she was beyond pleased with the hard work each of the girls put into their designs. While Cooper’s first place logo will be the new face of the commission, Malphrus said people shouldn’t be surprised if they see Overbaugh’s or Swanson’s logos used for certain things as well.
“These students all worked really hard on this project,” Grocki said. “They are three smart girls who approached this idea with open eyes. This was all part of a process of creating art that will positively affect others.”
