Artwork created by talented students from the Coachella Valley has transformed several SunLine Transit Agency buses into colorful moving canvases. These striking designs are the result of the eighth annual Student Art Contest, an event co-sponsored by Inland Empire Health Plan (IEHP).
The theme for this year's contest, as stated in an IEHP press release, was "Your Sustainable Ride to the Future." Marci Coffey, IEHP's director of strategic provider partnerships, interprets this as a call to create artwork that reflects clean air and scenic beauty, elements that align well with healing and inspiring the human spirit.
As per a press release from SunLine Transit Agency, students ranging from kindergarten to 12th grade were encouraged to participate in the competition. The first-place winners had their artworks turned into wraps which have now been put on display on SunLine’s hydrogen fuel cell electric buses for a period of one year. Additionally, the work of five second and third place winners will be showcased at bus shelters close to their schools.
The winning art pieces were unveiled at a ceremony held on November 21. The event saw attendance from not just the winning student artists but also representatives from SunLine and IEHP including Coffey and Michelle Rai, IEHP's Chief Communications and Marketing Officer.
"By fostering young artists we can potentially provide long-term benefits for our communities. These students will be better equipped to communicate their ideas visually and creatively in future workplaces," said Rai.
Apart from IEHP and SunLine Transit Agency, other sponsors of this contest included cities like LaQuinta and Palm Desert along with First Bank according to the information given in an IEHP press release.