McHenry High graphics students complete car wrap project to honor McHenry Moose

Two McHenry Community High School graphics students created car wrap designs to honor the McHenry Moose Lodge as part of a graphic design partnership that included graphics students producing the car wrap project from start to finish.

Both the hood and side door designs are expected to be displayed this summer at Moose Lodge 391 headquarters in Johnsburg, and are expected to be featured in the "Cruising the Moose" car show, which is held each Tuesday evening.

Ruben Melgarejo, a 2023 graduate, designed the hood wrap while Dennis Turcan, a soon-to-be senior, created the design for the car doors.

Their designs were selected by members of the Moose Lodge out of submissions from the school's Graphics 2 classes.

The assignment for students was to create designs that depict the variety of social and philanthropic work of the McHenry Moose Lodge, a charitable organization belonging to Moose International.

Daniel Florek from Wisconsin-based Vindictive Vinyl came to class on May 19 to help students install the winning designs, and also helped kick off the project in March.

Graphics Instructor Matt Connor said the project is a good way to introduce students to working with customers and meeting their needs.

"It also showed them how you need to adjust your design style to your customer's style," he added.

Meeting deadlines is also an important part of the project. Melgarejo and Turcan both said it took them a few weeks to research and develop their designs using hand sketches then PhotoShop. Then after designs were selected, the students began the process of printing out the vinyl wrap and installing.

"It's amazing," Turcan said of the project. "It's a very cool process to wrap a car."

Melgarejo said he learned that it is really difficult to wrap a car since it is not an entirely flat surface. Designs have to be modified to take that into account, and also that most people may not have a lot of time to study a car wrap out on the road.

He said he appreciated the help and input from other Graphics 2 students who contributed throughout the project. "We all had our own touches," he said.

Connor and Moose officials are working on display ideas for the side doors and hood, with the Moose's "Cruise the Moose" summer car show on Tuesdays as a possible display idea. For more information on the Moose Lodge, visit the organization's website or Facebook page.

The car side doors and hood were donated by Route 12 Auto Parts and Salvage in Richmond.

The hood will eventually come back to Connor's classroom where it will be displayed next to last year's project honoring the American Legion.