JMAC - H.S. Group
Gateway High School Students Form JMAC
Although Joy Pedrow, 17, has always enjoyed painting and other artistic endeavors, she never imagined she would initiate a club to encourage students to enhance their talents.
JMAC stands for Junior Monroeville Arts Council, Joy said in a recent interview. “We are basically just a group of kids who love the arts. We love creating art, viewing art, and listening to the arts, like music. Our main goal is to encourage the arts in
Monroeville and, most importantly, in Gateway High School.”
The daughter of Debra and John Pedrow, this Gateway junior revealed she learned that Monroeville Arts Council was planning an art show last summer while reading the IN Monroeville magazine. “I used the number in the article to call one of MAC’s members who turned out to be Gene Wagner, its membership chair. He told me about the art show in July, but then really surprised me by asking if I would like to attend one of MAC’s board meetings. I jumped at the chance. What I learned is I enjoy being with people who love art and have the same goals to promote it like I do. They asked me to become a member, and I’ve been attending the monthly meetings ever since. I love that the members encourage all the ideas I have for MAC and JMAC.”
JMAC’s first project was participating in the school’s Multicultural Festival in November where they manned a booth displaying a huge cardboard world. “We cut out hundreds of two-inch paper dolls to represent the visitors who came to our booth. People of all ages enjoyed using markers to color their doll’s clothing and gluing them anywhere they wanted on the world. Some chose the U.S., while others picked Europe, Africa, the Middle East, or China. It was amusing to see some chose to go for a swim in the Atlantic Ocean! I’m very excited to say the colorful JMAC World Map is being displayed at the entrance to our high school, and I want thank all those who helped make this event a success.”
Peg Caine, MAC’s vice president and former art show chair, has found her to be a delightful and mature young lady. “Working with Joy is a very pleasant experience. Our booth was next to Joy’s and it was wonderful to see JMAC’s members enjoying that their booth was the most popular one at the Multicultural Festival. Also, Joy’s contributions at our meetings are very insightful and constructive. We’d like to clone her!”
Joy and JMAC members have several prospective goals in mind. They want to team up with the art teachers at the high school to incorporate new ideas for the spring art show held in April in conjunction with the Music Department’s musical. “Our main goal is to encourage more students to participate in the show by allowing students to enter their favorite art work, rather than having the entries chosen by the teachers. We would also like to give out ribbon prizes to winners chosen by an established artist and having visitors vote for a People’s Choice Award like other art shows do,” Joy explained.
Another of JMAC’s goals is participating in community service projects. “We are currently making plans to help residents paint pictures and do other craft projects at Sunrise Assisted Living of Monroeville,” Joy said.
This leader of JMAC said she really enjoyed promoting JMAC on Comcast’s “Start with Art” program while being interviewed by its host, Joan Lunney. Her interview is being broadcast on local channel 4 on Mondays at 7:30 p.m. and Tuesdays at noon until the end of February. “ I was amazed to see the number and variety of beautiful paintings Joy has done and how much talent she has,” Ms. Lunney said about the interview.
Joy has loved art since she was little, recalling craft time was always the favorite part of her nursery school day. Then four years ago when she was in eighth grade, Joy discovered her “true love” was acrylic painting. “As part of her special Portfolio Art Class, Mrs. Greta Severson wanted the students to enter a contest called ‘Understanding Others and Appreciating Differences.’ My entry was a painting of the world as a puzzle with someone I knew in each piece to symbolize that even though everyone is different, we fit together like a puzzle.”
Joy said winning first place in that contest encouraged her to make acrylic painting her specialty and to work at becoming a really good artist. “I have an easel set up in my room, so when I have free time, I paint. I love using pictures of me with my friends as inspiration for interesting abstract paintings. I also enjoy painting real life portraits from photographs of family and friends.”
If students would like to join JMAC, Joy will be glad to e-mail a membership application. Send her a message by using This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , contact her at school or through the art teacher Mr. Michael Carsone. The JMAC Facebook has thirty-three members and is another way to learn about its meeting dates and activities. The cost for students to join is $5 per year. Its members also become MAC members who are eligible to receive MAC’s Muse Letter, discounts for theater and musical productions, and an invitation to its Membership Meeting and its Art Show Awards Program and Reception.
To learn more about MAC, contact Marilyn Wempa at 412-373-7794 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . MAC’s Web site is monroevilleartscouncil.org.
