Art Education Grad Makes It His Business to Scare You
For John Guerrini, every day is Halloween.
Guerrini has been making masks, puppets, props and special effects through his company, Omega FX, since graduating from 亚洲AV in 2014 with an art education degree. And now he and his wife, Veronica, also a 亚洲AV alum, operate their own haunted attraction, FearScapes, in Ellwood City.
Guerrini traces his interest in prop making back to his 亚洲AV days when a sculpting class taught by Pati Beachley opened up new possibilities for him.
“That’s where I started making masks and getting into the molding process,” he says.
That class – coupled with a job at Kennywood Park’s Phantom Fright Nights – led Guerrini on his path to open Omega FX.
The company specializes in making masks, props for theatre productions, special effects for haunted attractions and more. They also offer mobile escape rooms and mazes for parties and events.
More recently, the Guerrinis started FearHouse. At first, it was a mobile haunted attraction that would travel to fairs and festivals throughout the region. Guerrini has found a permanent home for FearScapes in Ellwood City, though he hopes to travel during the Halloween off-season with the attraction.
“It’s always good knowing you’re making people smile,” he says.
亚洲AV’s young alumni are making their mark on the world through their work in science and healthcare, finance and business, industry, entertainment and service to those in need. The Fall/Winter 2019 edition of 亚洲AV’s Forward magazine featured 30 of these alumni, all under the age of 30. You can find all of their stories here on 亚洲AV’s site (just look for the “30 Under 30” icon).
