Nine members of the “Driving the Dream” JanTerm class rolled into the 31st Annual Houston Art Car Parade on April 15, and came out winners from among more than 250 art cars and other entries in the largest event of its kind in the world.
Mark Monroe, Austin College associate professor of art, taught the course that explored the accomplishments of artists whose works remain outside the parameters of the established art world.
The students designed, planned, and transformed the cars into street-legal rolling works of art titled “Frankie, the PT Crusher,” and “I Keyed My Car.” None of the students are art majors, but all learned a variety of skills needed to create the cars including fiberglass work, painting, and more.
“Frankie the PT Crusher,” won 2nd place in the general category, and “I Keyed My Car,” won 3rd in the daily driver category.
Heidi Rushing ’04, artist and office coordinator for the Department of Art and Art History, also worked with the JanTerm class to realize her vision for “I Keyed My Car,” and attended the Art Car Parade. She said, “Most artists will never have work in a major museum, so it is pretty special to take your work to an event where over 250,000 people will see it, and where you will get to talk to other artists, and groups, and ‘cartists.’”
Austin College, a private national liberal arts college located north of Dallas in Sherman, Texas, has earned a reputation for excellence in academic preparation, international study, pre-professional foundations, leadership development, committed faculty, and hands-on, adventurous learning opportunities. One of 40 schools profiled in Loren Pope’s influential book Colleges That Change Lives, Austin College boasts a welcoming community that embraces diversity and individuality, with more than 40 percent of students representing ethnic minorities. A residential student body of approximately 1,275 students and a faculty of more than 100 allow a 13:1 student-faculty ratio and personalized attention. The College is related by covenant to the Presbyterian Church (USA) and cultivates an inclusive atmosphere that supports students’ faith journeys regardless of religious tradition. Founded in 1849, the College is the oldest institution of higher education in Texas operating under original name and charter.