PW alum Caroline Melillo designs mural showcasing student voices for PA state capitol

To help celebrate America 250, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania called on K-12 artists to create artwork that reflected what is meaningful about their hometowns, neighborhoods, and traditions. With hundreds of submissions as inspiration, Plymouth Whitemarsh High School alum Caroline Melillo pulled the pieces together into Many Communities: One Commonwealth, a six-by-eight-foot, three-panel collage recently unveiled in the Pennsylvania State Capitol Rotunda in Harrisburg.

Melillo, a member of the Plymouth Whitemarsh High School Class of 2022 and recent Moravian University Graphic and Interactive Design graduate, was selected by the Pennsylvania Art Education Association (PAEA) to design the mural. Melillo transformed more than 180 individual submissions into a cohesive collage in the shape of Pennsylvania, highlighting the diversity, creativity, and shared experiences of communities across the Commonwealth.

At the July 28 unveiling ceremony, Governor Josh Shapiro praised the project for celebrating what Pennsylvanians have in common. "I've always believed that art has a way of bringing people together and creating opportunities for kindness," Governor Shapiro said. "We have to find more ways to come together and not see the differences, but the similarities in our Commonwealth."

Among those whose artwork was submitted for consideration were 14 current Plymouth Whitemarsh High School students: Sophia Dunoff, Phoebe Balkiewicz, Dean Hayes, Brandon Wooldridge, Logan Nye, Avner Shaw, Natalie Krier, Madison McGuckien, Mia VanCollie, McKenzie Rupprecht, Bailey Riley, Riley Wheeler, Chris Kanavy, and Luke Scoble. 

Dr. MaryJo Rosania Harvie, assistant professor of art and director of art education at Moravian University and PAEA president-elect, said the installation demonstrates the importance of student voices. "This project is a powerful reminder that young people have important stories to tell about place, identity, and belonging. Through the visual arts, students across Pennsylvania are helping us see the Commonwealth not as one single story, but as a collection of many communities, perspectives, and lived experiences."

Many Communities: One Commonwealth was displayed in the Pennsylvania State Capitol Rotunda following its unveiling and is also featured in an online gallery highlighting all of the student artwork submitted from across the Commonwealth.

Visit the online gallery here.

The project was developed through a partnership between the Pennsylvania Art Education Association, Pennsylvania Creative Industries, the Office of First Lady Lori Shapiro, and the National Endowment for the Arts as part of Pennsylvania's commemoration of the nation's 250th anniversary.