b'Figure 2: Sunny with a Chance of Sprinkles created byFigure 3: Triceratops art car at the 2018 Houston ArtFigure 4: Penelope The Purple People Eater at the 2018 students at Spring Forest Middle SchoolCar ParadeHouston Art Car parade (photo credit Lindsay Ripley) (photo credit Lindsay Ripley) (photo credit Lindsay Ripley)Figure 5: The Dragon Art Car at the 2019 Houston Art Car Parade (photo credit Lindsay Ripley)ever-expanding and mobile art car community, spawning a visualcreative project for too long. I wont lie and tell you that creatingToday, The Houston Art Car Parade encompasses an entire weekendmaking art cars for the better part of two decades, offered to impact on the publics perception of what qualifies as art and whoan art car for a world-renowned parade and celebration is an easyof events centered around the display and celebration of Art Cars.assist in the development of a collaborative art project for my can be considered an artist.task. Its not easy. But its worth it. Collaborative community-basedThe parade is a favorite event for Houstonians, bringing in roughlyupper elementary students. Although we did not have access to Community engagement has long been a common theme inprojects have a great impact on students and their communities,300,000 spectators each year. Whats unique about the Houston arta car, she had a personal connection who offered to donate 25 contemporary art education research, with a variety of methodsand on the educators, who facilitate them. car parade is that each year spectators are inspired to becomebikes, scooters and helmets to my art program for the purpose that include, community events, mural projects, empty bowlsThe Houston Art Car Parade participants. Anyone can enter, all you must do is make an art car.of turning them into art bikes for the Houston Art Car Parade. It events, and a number of other service-oriented projects (Garber,Owning and driving a car is a major developmental milestoneInitially, facilitating the creation of an art car with students maywas a lofty project and certainly one that caused a little second 2005; March, 1998). In order to become most meaningful tofor adolescent students. The promise of freedom of movementseem daunting, but their engagement in a thriving and welcomingguessing along the way, but the thought of providing an amazing students, community-based projects require a certain level ofand volition, the ability to personalize a car is a major draw duringart car community will help students to build essential projectexperience to my young students completely won me over. I student autonomy. Handing over creative control to students is aa time in a students life where they are finding new and excitingmanagement and team building skills, as well as support theirimmediately set to work, focusing on making the project as daunting task for many teachers, but one that is often rewardedways to express personal identity (Stienecker, 2010). One suchcreative development, encouraging them to continue making artstudent centered as possible. The design of the art bikes was the most. Ultimately, projects that are impactful to students andmode of self-expression is to create an Art Car. Art Car Artists turnin weird and wacky ways for years to come.decided through a school-wide art bike design contest process. their communities are projects that are driven by the artists thatmundane factory-made vehicles into mobile works of art (RobertsStudent Art Car Creations The winner was a spike covered design, which included spiked create them: students (Jaquith et al., 2012, p.147).Teachers areet al., 1997). Art Car Artists celebrate their art through gatherings,As a Houstonian, art cars have always had a place in my life.helmets. I assembled a group of 25 third, fourth, and fifth graders under tremendous pressure to develop a curriculum that meetsfestivals, and parades. Driven by arts non-profit organization, TheI attended the annual Houston Art Car Parade with friends andto begin building the art bikes. It was only natural to call the group the needs of their required objectives, while maintaining studentOrange Show for Visionary Art, The Houston Art Car Parade is thefamily for as long as I could remember. It wasnt until 2017 thatThe Spike Brigade. Seeing my students glow with pride as they autonomy and interest. It is a balancing act that art educatorsleading folk art and outsider art event in the nation. The paradeI finally took the steps to become a participant in this magicalparaded their art bikes in downtown Houston, surrounded by are well acquainted with. Projects like a collaborative art car areweekend brings together artists and community members fromcreative arts community with my students. As I was packingHoustonians oohing and awing over their student-made project, time consuming, come with an abundance of roadblocks andall over the Houston area, the state of Texas, with a community ofup after a long day of art teaching at the elementary school Iwas a moment in my career I will never forget. challenges, which is why many teachers steer clear of them.art car artists that extend across the nation. The beginnings ofworked at, a friend, colleague, and parent of one of my studentsWith the success of The Spike Brigade, my schools Parent Before I started making art cars with my students, I thought thethe Houston Art Car Parade can be traced back to the 1980s andpoked her head into my doorway and told me she had a dealTeacher Association purchased and donated a golf cart for the same way, which kept me from participating in this rewardinghas grown in both size and breadth over the decades (Lowe, 2019).that I simply couldnt pass up. Becky Mustachio, who had beensole purpose of creating an art car with students each year. The TRENDS // PAGE 28PAGE 29 // TRENDS'