An anonymous painter has been roaming around the school for quite some time now. He’s been painting, etching, and drawing a slew of artistic murals and signs to enhance the interior of the new high school. His paintings have spruced up the surrounding walls with inspirational quotations in the athletic wing and a throng of instructional signs. Nonetheless, his paintings at Bethel Park High School have created a surge among the students. The students always extol his work and tell him that it all looks extraordinary.
This independent painter’s name is Mr. Ted Penovich, and he owns a company called Penovich Designs. After high school, Mr. Penovich became a chef and at 28 decided to go back to school to become a painter, which he states was all an accident at the time. Mr. Penovich is equipped with 24 years of experience of designing and sketching multifarious images within high schools and colleges like directional signs and influential quotations. However, Mr. Penovich slithered his way into the business by his expertise in drawing and painting team logos on basketball courts. Some of his prominent works are diffused throughout the University of Pittsburgh, Bucknell University, West Virginia University, and Louisville University.
Mr. Penovich jokingly remarks that most of his work involves painting basketball courts, but he actually dislikes basketball and enjoys watching baseball since it’s slow paced. More importantly, Mr. Penovich has become well-liked throughout the districts in western Pennsylvania, which is why he is hired at most of the high schools.
“Currently, he’s in the process of painting above the South Gymnasium and the locker rooms on the second and third floor,” Dr. J said. In addition, all of the signage located within the propinquity of the high school is all Mr. Penovich’s work; the colossal sized hawk in the cafeteria, the academic wing, the athletic wing, the BP hawk logo on the basketball court, the Alumni Hall of Fame, the Athletic Hall of Fame, and “The Serving Your Country” were all executed by him.
Recently, Mr. Penovich wrapped up his painting adjacent from the boys’ swimming locker room that reads, “Through These Halls Pass The Toughest Competitors In The Commonwealth…Prove It Today!”. The mural is primarily positioned next to the doors that lead to the stadium field to “pump up” the outdoor athletic players.
When concerning whether or not students should have painted some of the murals and signs around the high school, Dr. J said: “One, Mr. Penovich has 30 years of experience; if you go to the University of Pittsburgh, Bucknell, Louisville [or a lot of the major gyms], the logo painted in the middle of the floor is painted by Ted Penovich. You won’t find anyone better than Mr. Penovich and the Bethel Park students and the community deserve the best we could find. In additional, he’s very affordable and reasonable. . . A lot of the murals painted were built into the construction cost.”
“I try to be the link that allows whomever I’m working for to put exactly what they want,” Mr. Penovich said. When talking about the obstacles he has faced at BPHS, he noted, “Concrete block is horrible to paint on. A lot of this block is full of divots and it makes it a lot harder. Sometimes you just kind of have to fudge it. I haven’t really faced many obstacles; this is a really nice environment to work in, and I feel safe here.”
Mr. Penovich’s murals and paintings will continue to ingrain an everlasting image of school spirit as his legacy continues to drizzle across high schools and colleges. Artistic ability isn’t defined by intelligence but rather an imagination, as Albert Einsten once said, “Imagination is more important than knowledge.”
