CHAMPION - The artistic styles of artist Andy Warhol have been incorporated into class projects at Champion High School, including a large mural.
Art teacher Laura Acierno got a $700 grant from Target, which allowed 30 of her students to visit the Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh.
She said the visit included hands-on activities.
The students have also been working on a 6-by-10-foot mural mosaic based on what they learned during the museum tour.
''This was an excellent opportunity for the students to see the works done by Warhol. The museum staff was very impressed by the Champion students. We had a strong group of students who interacted well during the visit,'' Acierno said.
Acierno, who does a unit on Warhol in her digital art class, said students had to write a short essay about why they should be selected to go on the trip.
Donald Warhol, the nephew of Andy Warhol, spoke to the students at the museum on how his uncle collaborated with other artists on some of the collection showcased at the museum.
Among his collaborators were Keith Haring and Jean-Michel Basquiat.
''This was a good opportunity for a collaborative workshop for the students The students made the mural during the workshop,'' Acierno said.
Randy Dearth, a Champion graduate and chairman of the Warhol Museum board, met with the group and shared the significance of the museum, Acierno said.
Sarah Hochadel, a sophomore at Champion, said "I thought we were only looking at the ideas, but we were able to analyze his work and saw the process Andy Warhol went through to create his art. It was a fun and educational trip."
"It was nice that he was a popular artist when he was alive since many other people are popular after they have died," she said.
Tyler Siglow, a junior, said when you first walk in the museum you see a BMW that was painted by Warhol.
"It really stands out when you go to the museum,'' he said.