Austin ISD Youth Art Month kicked off with the signing of a student-designed billboard.
Travis Early College High School art student John Ramirez signed his artwork on the billboard at 1614 Montopolis Road.
The Austin Fire Department lifted Ramirez, Fine Arts Director Alan Lambert and the student’s art teacher, Rachael Wellborn up in a fire truck bucket to sign the billboard.
Ramirez’s artwork illustrates how art is able to ‘magically’ reach and effect communities to represent this year’s Youth Art Month theme, “Art is Magical.”
“I tried to make it as magical as I could,” he said.
Ramirez’s piece won in the 26th annual AISD high school student billboard design contest.
“He is constantly in the art room and working on multiple projects,” Wellborn said of Ramirez. “Last year we traveled to New York, where he was recognized at Carnegie Hall for the Scholastic Art and Writing Competition with a Gold Key.”
Ten billboards throughout Austin will feature Ramirez’s artwork in March:
- 1608 35th St., east of Jefferson Street
- 4801 Airport Blvd., south of 48th Street
- 5002 US 183 S., south of Burleson Road
- 41 I-35 N., north of Clermont Avenue
- 1614 Montopolis Road, north of Riverside Drive
- 3402 Seventh St. E., west of Springdale Road
- 1716 Anderson Lane W., west of Wooten Park Drive
- 1809 Manor Road, west of Chicon Street
- 1409 Oltorf St. W., east of Lamar Boulevard
- 4140 Congress Ave. S., south of Ben White Boulevard
Youth Art Month also includes the Districtwide Art Show, featuring more than 2,500 student works of art representing 126 elementary, middle and high schools. They are on display at the AISD Performing Arts Center, 1500 Barbara Jordan Blvd.
More details about the art show, including the schedule for viewing the items and information about the opening reception, are available online.