Spring Branch ISD Featured News

You know it’s going to be a good weekend when it starts with a sneak peek at some of the most fantastic art creations on wheels. Houston celebrated the 32nd anniversary of its local Art Car Parade this past Saturday, an event that’s become a nationally recognized mobile art celebration.  
 
District students in Spring Branch ISD lined up on Friday for a special viewing, known as the SBISD Art Car Shimmy. The event was a miniature version of the city’s official celebration. The Shimmy featured over 15 art cars, including four created by district art students. District educators leading the art charge included:

• Academy of Choice, Jackie Valore
• Spring Forest Middle Schools, Becky Mustachio
• Nottingham Elementary, Lindsey Ripley
• Wilchester Elementary, Stephanie Walton

Also included in the lineup was a standout crowd favorite created by SBISD Bus Driver Samuel Jones. Jones’ tribute to legendary Vincent Van Gogh featured some of the artist’s best-known works. 
 
Jones received the first award of the day for “winning car,” an honor that he noted almost moved him close to tears. Every school stop on the Shimmy route provided an opportunity for students to vote for their favorite car. 
 
Cars made stops at Academy of Choice, Wilchester and Meadow Wood Elementary, Spring Forest Middle, Nottingham Elementary and The Village School and The Branch School before ending with lunch at the Wilchester Elementary campus.
 
Celebrating Community & Collaboration
 
Community is why Houston’s Art Car Parade has become one of the most iconic events in the city and the biggest of its kind in the nation. The event’s ability to unite cultures and celebrate diversity demonstrates what Houstonians already know – we are stronger because of who we are together.  That same thinking is what inspired educators to embark on the creation of art cars with their students.
 
“The most powerful aspect of this type of project is that students are working together to solve the problem of creating a mobile piece of art, in the round,” said art educator Stephanie Walton. “We have to work together collaboratively to come up with the ideas to put on the car and how and where everything will fit!”
 
Creativity Keep Them Coming Back
 
Creativity is why educators in the SBISD keep coming back to the art car project year after year. “Art develops a sense of creativity and curiosity,” said Becky Mustachio. Mustachio’s art students worked with campus CTE classmates to get their go-kart art car up and running. “It was an amazing collaboration between the CTE and Art Departments that took this dream into a reality.”
 
While the 32nd Annual Art Car Parade may be history, the inspiration behind the work remains, ready for the next group of eager students to turn an idea into a great work of art mobile, together.
 
Click here to see photos from the SBISD Art Car Shimmy.
Click here to learn more about how your school can join the art car community.
 

SBISD's 2019 Art Car Shimmy from SBISD on Vimeo.