Alexis Aguila, a senior at Pottsville Area High School, was painting an ocean scene Monday on an unusual canvas.
It was the head of a parking meter, the kind which line the sidewalks on the 100 and 200 blocks of Downtown Pottsville.
After school Monday, she was in an art room at the school, detailing the shades of blue with orange fish and a mermaid with long red hair.
"I like mermaids. That's why I went with the ocean theme," Aguila said.
She was among the local artists who volunteered to paint a collection of parking meter heads for the Pottsville Parking Authority and the Pottsville Area Development Corp. Aesthetics Committee.
Earlier this month, Patrick J. Murphy, a Pottsville jeweler and parking authority president, announced the committee was looking for artists to paint the meters to add a dash of color to Downtown Pottsville and further distinguish the 100 and 200 blocks of West Market Street as an arts district.
"It's going to help brighten up downtown," said Alex Martz, a Pottsville Area senior, who painted one with American stars and stripes.
The project didn't interfere with the day-to-day operations of parking meters downtown. Meter heads the parking authority had in storage were sent out to the artists, Murphy said.
"We sent 13 up to Nativity BVM High School and eight to Pottsville Area. And the rest were given to local artists who showed interest," Amy S. Burkhart, executive director of the parking authority and PADCO, said Monday.
Those local artists included Cherie Roberts, Denise Darinsig, Madeline Consugar, Jolene Renninger and Jena Maroukis, Burkhart said.
Murphy said Monday he's hoping the meter heads can be installed in early December.
"There is no real deadline. We'd like to have them out for the holiday season. But soon we're going to put out what we have, a first round," Burkhart said.
On Monday, Lindsey Boncore, an art teacher at Pottsville Area High School, was working on one.
Her design was an abstract containing some of her favorite images on a white background. They included her 35 mm camera and a turtle.
"That's my pet turtle, Flip. She's a yellow-bellied slider. I got her a couple of years ago. I raised her since she was a hatchling and I just love her. And I love her colors and how she hides in her shell. And I've had her make an appearance in a couple of pieces of my artwork and she's reappearing here," Boncore said.
A few weeks ago, Burkhart sent letters to area schools, describing the project and the rules. They included the following:
- Paint to be used on the meter must be a Rust-Oleum product. Please do not use a clear coat as it will become cloudy with age and inclement weather. A minimum of one coat of primer should be used.
- "If you would like to paint the meter pole as well please arrange a time to do so," Burkhart said.
- "All designs should be completed with the understanding that it is placed in a public location. No designs that are considered inappropriate for young children and families will be accepted," Burkhart said.
Martz said he did some research on the Internet before choosing a design for the one he'd paint.
"I researched painted parking meters and I found some really neat ones that looked like the American flag. So I decided to do one. It was really hard to do the stripes," Martz said.
He said the rounded contours of the meter heads made it difficult to put down masking tape to establish guidelines for the stripes.
"And I'm still working on the stars," Martz said.
Burkhart said she's still receiving inquiries from artists interested in painting meters.
Anyone with questions about the project can call Burkhart at 570-628-4647.
The borough of Schuylkill Haven approved a similar project in August, in which volunteers painted 12 parking meters in the area of the Walk In Art Center.