Partners in Adventure is an organization which gives young people, with and without disabilities, the chance to build friendships, boost their confidence, and much more.
For Parker Zipko’s Academy of the Visual and Performing Arts (AVPA) Capstone Project, she decided to design an image to print on clothing and accessories.
Through this project, she has been raising money to donate to Partners in Adventure from selling, by donation, sweatshirts, t-shirts, and stickers.
From a young age, Parker has always loved art. She enjoyed drawing in middle school, took a break, and then found her way back to art through high school classes.
“Taking art classes in high school helped get me back into it,” Zipko said.
The idea for her project grew off of the inspiration from a past student’s capstone in a previous year.
“A student’s capstone last year inspired mine because they used a similar process but different designs and charity,” she said.
Zipko was introduced to Partners in Adventure through her teacher, Mrs. Schmitt.
“I wasn’t sure what charity to team up with, and she introduced me to Partners in Adventure,” Zipko said. Once she learned about its mission, she knew it was the right fit.
The merchandise Zipko created is built around a message of connection. She designed her image with two people sitting on a chairlift to reflect the community focus of the organization she is supporting. Zipko also wanted the designs to feel true to Vermont, so she included an illustration featuring local mountain sports.
The production process behind the merchandise used her creativity while showcasing hands on work. First, Zipko carved her designs out of linoleum blocks, then she inked them, and finally stamped the prints onto shirts. After curing the ink with heat, she created stickers with the same design. Mrs. Schmitt printed the reference photos on sticker paper, and Zipko put a protective film on to make them waterproof.
When it came to pricing the merchandise, she didn’t want cost to be a barrier. Instead of setting a fixed price, Zipko chose a donation based method.
“I was conflicted on how much to sell the shirts for because I wanted to raise as much money as possible, but I didn’t want people to be unable to purchase them,” Zipko said.
If you’re interested in donating to Parker Zipko, you can reach out to her via school email at [email protected].
If you’re interested in more information about Partners in Adventure check out their website: https://www.partnersinadventure.org/.
