Penn-Trafford students participated in a recent Phipps Conservatory ‘Fairchild Challenge.’ The latest challenge, called ‘Top it Off,’ tasked students with creating a hat out of repurposed materials.
At the High School level, Penn-Trafford senior Madeleine Frutos took first place for her 80s-themed hat. “I absolutely love the gaudiness of the 80s: the big hair, the clashing animal prints, the endless supply of latex and leathers,” commented Frutos. “Of course, I wanted my hat to echo this time period.”
Penn Middle School eighth-graders Madilyn Gavrish, Sydney Mularski, and Riley Joyce took the top spot in their level with their unique submission. The girls commented, “The inspiration for our hat is a warm, sunny beach day. For our hat, we created the Surf Shack which has water and soda bottles made from beads of a variety of colors.”
The two Penn-Trafford hats are among eight total hats that were selected by judges to display at the Phipps Welcome Center. Nearly 80 hats were submitted in this challenge.
Oh, Scrap!, an art supply thrift store in Jeannette, supported the students with deeply discounted supplies for the hats.
