b'Figure 6: Stephanie Waltons student created art car parked outside of the historic Orange Show (photo credit Stephanie Walton)table. The focus, instead, is on the collaboration of aArt Bikes as Vessels for Social Impact students to their community, you dont need to create team and their contribution to a large project. ManyThe Spike Brigade project was my initial taste ofan art car to facilitate an engaging and collaborative teachers lead an art car project during the schoolthe art car community, and it was also a projectcommunity-based project. Solid community-based day as a part of the art curriculum, while others takethat served an important social service, keeping meprojects put students at the center of decision making on a more informal teaching method (Ulbricht, 2005),involved and interested in the community ever since.(Ulbricht, 2005), reflect on the impact of the student facilitating an after-school club where studentsAfter the parade, I met with my schools principalon community and the community on the student, oversee the making of many, if not all, of the creativeand our school social worker. Together, we identifiedand aims to allow students to influence a new cultural decisions. Furthermore, this level of autonomy25 students in our own school whose families couldenvironment (March, 1998). Furthermore, effective facilitates the development of personal identitynot afford a bicycle, and we gave each of them thecommunity-based projects have the power to enact within a community (Anderson & Milbrandt, 2005,spike bikes and helmets. Several of the studentspositive social change on students own communities p.233) and inspires students to make their own artwere members of the Spike Brigade and were thrilled(Dewhurst, 2010; Garber, 2005; Ulbricht, 2005), and car someday. Through the collaborative creation ofwith the prospect of keeping their mobile artworks.to facilitate the development of students personal art cars, students discover their personal strengthsIt was an honor to see the bikes chained up to theidentity and empathy for others in their community. and interests, paving a path toward personal identity. school bike rack each morning after the studentsStudents should be at the center of any community-Middle school art educator, Julon Pinkston, describescommuted by art bike each day. A defining featurebased project, looking to their outward communities an art car project as the largest single work of artof art education for social justice is the function offor opportunities to learn and grow, creating any student and sometimes any adult has ever workedan art project enacting social change (Dewhurst,meaningful art, and flourishing in collaboration with on and describes his role in the process as a coach2010). Collaborative community-based projects, liketheir inward community.who helps students collaborate to make the artart cars, are in a unique position to facilitate social they dream up and ensure that they actually finish. justice action. Through the art bike project, not onlyReferencesPinkston has spent the last eight years creating artwere my students instilled with a sense of pride, butAnderson, T., & Milbrandt, M. K. (2005). Art for life: cars with students. He describes his students astheir mobile works of art became a functional mode ofauthentic instruction in art. McGraw-Hill.future sculptors, engineers, and mechanics who willtransportation for a student who had never had theirDewhurst, M. (2010). An Inevitable Question: Exploring the probably always like building things with their handsown bike before. While not every art car project myDefining Features of Social Justice Art Education. Art (J. Pinkston, personal communication, April 13, 2022). students have created has had quite the same socialEducation, 63(5), 613. https://doi.org/10.1080/0004312Art cars promote essential competencies that bolsterimpact as The Spike Bikes did, each project serves a5.2010.11519082golf cart has gone on to become a fire breathing dragon to becreative thinking and problems-solving skills that willdifferent role in the development of my students ownGarber, E. (2005). Social Justice and Art Education. Visual Arts Research, 30(2), 421. JSTOR.slayed in the parade by students wearing knight gear, as well aslast a lifetime.inward communities and identity development. I aimLowe, R. (2019, August 29). Meet Rebecca Lowe of Orange transformed into a giant treasure chest filled with gold coins andElementary art educator Stephanie Walton createsto develop art cars that instill the same level of socialShow Center for Visionary Arts & Clarity Center for A gemstones under attack by a great purple octopus. I now teachan art car with her students each year, bringingimpact on the local community with future art carNew Way in East Side/Heights [Interview]. In Voyage at a middle school alongside the very friend who dragged me intotogether the fifth-grade class in their final year andprojects.Houston. http://voyagehouston.com/interview/meet-the art car community in the first place. My friend and colleaguetheir concluding group project of elementary school.Post Parade: Its a Wrap! rebecca-lowe-orange-show-center-visionary-arts-was lucky enough to acquire a car donation, an old but sturdyWalton describes the creative process as allowingExiting the parade route with the cheering paradeclarity-center-new-way-east-sideheights/1994 Suburban. Our students reconstructed it into a meltingus to be challenged in ways that are not found in aattendees becoming quieter and quieter, disappearingMarch, T. (1998). Looking Outward, Looking In: ice cream car called Sunny with a Chance of Sprinkles. Sunnyclassroom setting. Walton says the project grantsin the rear-view mirror, is a bittersweet end to anCommunity in Art Education. Art Education, 51(3), 6. eventually won the Houston Art Car Parades Fountain of Youthher the opportunity to see growth from her studentsequally exhausting and rewarding project. Until nexthttps://doi.org/10.2307/3193725Award for bringing about youthful joy and making everyone in thethroughout their time in elementary school. Thespring, the hard work is done. As is the stress ofPinkston, J. (2022, April 13). Interview with Julon Pinkston audience feel young again.In addition to the parade and as a partstudents KNOW that their time is coming to work on anmeeting hard deadlines and cleaning up endless paint[digital form to Lindsay Ripley].of the Art Car Weekend events, we were invited to participate inart car, so they work to do their very best. There is aspills and spray foam accidents. Itll be a break fromRoberts, M., Harithas, J., & Poole, C. (1997). Art cars: The Main Street Drag, which is an event that brings art cars directlysense of pride knowing that the car is created by thethe apology emails and phones calls to parents for therevolutionary movement. Ineri Foundation.to people who may not be able to attend the parade. Along withstudents and it represents their campus.(S. Walton,student who got blue paint in their hair, or the studentStephens, P. G. (2006). A Real Community Bridge: Informing Community-Based Learning through a Model of many other art cars, we took Sunny with a Chance of Sprinkles topersonal communication, April 14, 2022). Collaboratingwho ruined a new pair of pants while working on theParticipatory Public Art. Art Education, 59(2), 4046. Houston Childrens Hospital, various elementary schools, and towith a team, sharing the load of decision making,art car. Until next year, it is all in the past and you canhttps://doi.org/10.1080/00043125.2006.11651586a preschool for students with special needs, making our projectand taking on challenges are all key in the process ofbask in the bright light of seeing your students art carStienecker, D. (2010). Art Cars: Transformations of the more accessible to the community and bringing joy to those whocollaborative projects and help to further develop theon the evening news coverage of the Houston Art CarMundane. Art Education, 63(3), 2532. https://doi.org/1could not attend the parade. inward-looking communities that art educators haveParade and plastered all over social media by friends0.1080/00043125.2010.11519067The Big Why a hand in creating. A collective of students working onand family who saw your students masterpiece on theUlbricht, J. (2005). What is Community-Based Art Collaborative projects like art cars allow students to learn realan art car not only teaches art skills, but can influenceroad. Youll get to hear your students rave about theirEducation? Art Education, 58(2), 612. https://doi.org/1world lessons, in a safe, inward community space (March, 1998).a students creative self-esteem (Roberts et al., 1997,experience for weeks to come. Until one day soon, and0.1080/00043125.2005.11651529Students participate and contribute to a vibrant communityp. 41), encouraging them to take even more creativeitll sneak up on you, it will be time to register for nextWalton, S. (2022, April 14). Interview with Stephanie Walton that supports all artists. The stress of being the best at art, asrisks in their personal art. years art car parade and you can do it all again.[digital form to Lindsay Ripley].well as the entire concept of grading and standards, is off theWhile art cars are a fun and exciting way to connect TRENDS // PAGE 30PAGE 31 // TRENDS'