A painting by Middletown Area High School (MAHS) sophomore Jessica Matincheck recently garnered attention both locally and in State College.

Jess created the artwork, "My Version of a Modern-Day Rosie the Riveter," as a class assignment during the height of the coronavirus shutdown in the spring of 2020. At that time, MAHS students were learning from home. High school art teacher Elizabeth Strite challenged her students to use the pandemic as inspiration for a specific art project. Students were instructed to create a social commentary piece with a strong visual statement about an aspect of the COVID-19 pandemic. Jess chose to honor health care workers with her version of the famous "Rosie the Riveter" painting.

"I wanted to paint a prominent female figure because nurses were high risk and they are literally on the frontline and I wanted to incorporate both in one piece," she said. Jess' version of Rosie is Mexican with black hair, dark eyes and brown skin. In the acrylic painting, Rosie is wearing a mask and gloves, and she sports a stethoscope. She communicates the strength and courage of health care workers during the pandemic.

"I chose to make her Mexican because my grandmother is of Mexican descent on her father's side. I also made her a nurse because of their importance during this struggling time," Jess said. "I sketched her out in about 25 to 30 minutes and painted her within two days."

The finished painting was added to Jess' home art display, but its journey was just beginning.

As an employee of Penn State Health, Jess' mother, Lynn Matincheck, submitted the artwork to be considered for Penn State's "Viral Imaginations: COVID-19 Project." This online gallery archives "Pennsylvanians' first-person, imaginative and artistic expressions made in response to their lived experience of the coronavirus pandemic." Jess' painting was selected to be included in the online gallery and can be viewed by visiting https://viralimaginations.psu.edu/visual-art-gallery/ and searching for "My Version of a Modern-Day Rosie the Riveter."

Nurses who work with Jess' mother said they loved what the painting represented, and they expressed interest in purchasing T-shirts bearing the image. With the help of With Kidz in Mind, T-shirts are now being worn by nurses both locally and outside the area. Jess and her family made no profit on the T-shirts or her art; nurses simply paid for the cost of the shirts. Modern-Day Rosie had made it into a gallery and onto a T-shirt, but she was not finished yet.

The editors of The State College Magazine in State College were developing a story about the healing power of art. In their research, they came across Penn State's "Viral Imaginations" gallery and Jess' unique Rosie caught their attention. They contacted Jess about using her artwork for another article they were developing that would archive memories of the pandemic. Not only did they want to use Jess' artwork, but also it was selected for the front cover of the magazine. The magazine is available to view at http://www.statecollegemagazine.com/pdf-archives/.

Rosie was not Jess' first piece of artwork to receive recognition. Jess became interested in art as a student at Reid Elementary, where she was featured as the Artist of the Month on several occasions and won a poster contest in fourth grade. She was recently featured as the artist for the 2020 Middletown Area School District holiday card, and her passion has caught the attention of several local organizations, as well.

As seen in her art displayed in her home art studio, Jess specializes in female portraits. "I like the beauty of various skin tones, makeup, jewelry, hair, and fashion," she commented.