It’s a typical day in the art room. Students are discussing and sketching, trying to decide what they want to create as the smell of paint quickly fills the air. Teacher Jennifer Allore is explaining what she wants the students to do step by step, while a mannequin dressed in a dirty t-shirt with yarn for an arm precariously leans on a bucket of crab apples.
Allore has always been known by her students to be not only a creative teacher, but also a talented and gifted artist. This past labor day weekend, Allore was chosen as the winner for The Arts, Beats, & Eats official poster contest. Her first place prize was $1,000, and over 200 poster reproductions of her art were hung around the city of Royal Oak during the event.
Teachers and students saw them all over the festival and knew they were Allore’s artwork.
“She is so gifted,” principal Janet Jones said. “It’s always good to have the staff recognized in a positive way.”
The poster started out as a lesson for one of her classes. Allore was showing her students how it is possible to take things like bubble wrap and turn them into art by melting and painting them.
One of her former students suggested that the melted bubble wrap looked like a city. Allore came across the contest and said, “Why not?”
Allore teaches a variety of things, from Art Foundations to 2D/3D design, to crafts. She also teaches honors subjects, as well as AP.
“I really love Mrs. Allore,” senior Katrina Marberger said. “She is so funny and I learn a lot.”
Allore hopes to be able to create more art work and inspire more people in the future.
“It feels good to win something,” Allore said. “It validates you as an artist, showing that people like what you create just as much, if not more, than you do.”