Signs of Courage is a public art project that features signs with positive and inspiring messages, designed by sixth-grade students.

Video Editing by Jorge Davies, Graphics by Melissa Sabol

SIGNS SELECTED FOR PUBLIC ART INSTALLATION

38 art signs out of 509 on display at 29 Palms Community Center Freedom Plaza Square throughout September

OVERVIEW |

ARTISTS |

DETAILS |

TOP 3 |

WINNERS |

STICKERS |

FINALISTS |

SLIDESHOW

Collaborative Public Art Project | September 2023 - June 2024 | MUSD Elementary Students

Special yearlong student art project funded by California Arts Council

OVERVIEW

Signs of Courage is a public art project created by Morongo Unified School District elementary students in collaboration with Groundwork Arts teaching artists. Sixth-grade students created hundreds of art signs with encouraging messages in response to the challenging issues they face. Thirty-eight signs were selected to be reproduced as large-scale, street signs. These signs featuring positive, powerful and heartfelt messages will be temporarily installed at the 29 Palms Freedom Plaza for our entire community to view.

This public art installation, a screening of the short film documenting this year-long project, and the award ceremony will take place on September 7th at 11am. See below for details.

During the 2023-24 school year, Groundwork Arts taught 725 art classes at 11 school sites to 2899 students each month, employed 15 artists, featured 4 artists, produced 10 art videos, and created 509 signs, 2 exhibitions, and 1 public art installation.

ARTISTS

Rhonda Lane Coleman

Lead Artist

Claudia Bucher

Teaching Artist

Tayler Straziuso

Teaching Artist

Melissa Sabol

Lead Artist &
Graphic Designer

Wendy Hunt

Teaching Artist

Jacobine Van Der Meer

Teaching Artist

Jorge Davies

Lead Artist &
Filmmaker

Jen Shakti

Teaching Artist

Devino Tricoche

Teaching Artist

Sarah LaChance

Lead Artist

Meg Shannon

Teaching Artist

Margeaux Walter

Teaching Artist

Kait Bretz

Teaching Artist

Heather Sprague

Teaching Artist

Marcia Winn

Teaching Artist

DETAILS

CORE PROGRAM

All Students | First Four Months

Each season, Groundwork Arts introduces TK - sixth grade students to artists, develops unique art projects inspired by those artists, and employs teaching artists to work directly with the students. The theme for the 2023-24 school year, SIGNS of COURAGE, inspired a range of visual art projects that allowed students to express significant ideas through messaging, graphic imagery, typeface, color and shape.

Projects included:

Spill It: Art Journals
Make Your Mark: Foam Printmaking
Shape of Color: Abstract Painting
Typeface: The Art of Letters
Quirky Characters: Illustrated Patches

Projects 1-5 from Season 5

ART JOURNALS

All Students | All Year

Art journaling, an important practice among artists who work in many mediums, provides a powerful, and versatile platform for personal expression and creative experimentation. At the beginning of the year, all students were supplied with materials to create their own Art Journals. These journals provided a personal, judgment-free space for inspiration and emotional expression.

Art Journal Project

Filming by Tallulah Coleman, Editing & Graphics by Melissa Sabol

THOUGHT BOX

All Students | All Year

The ThoughtBox was a year-round initiative where students anonymously shared their thoughts, feelings, and concerns. These submissions were categorized by our teaching artists into common themes and presented to the sixth graders for discussion. The sixth graders then used these insights to craft positive, resonant messages for their art signs.

SIGNS OF COURAGE CLASSES

6th Graders | Oct 2023 - May 2024

Sixth-grade students attended one extra art class each month, where teaching artists helped students apply important lessons to the development of their art signs. Sixth graders deepened their understanding of visual communication through lessons on the power of symbols, the emotional impact of colors, and the influence of typeface and graphics. These student-centered classes emphasized self expression, collaboration and community building, empowering students to lead a significant public art initiative.

As part of the public art process, the entire student body and staff voted for the most compelling signs. Thirty-eight signs were selected by their peers, teachers, and Groundwork Arts staff to be made into large outdoor signs to be presented in this temporary installation.

EXHIBITIONS

Students also had the opportunity to share their artwork in two public exhibitions with community partners. In January 2024, a selection of paintings from the Shape of Color: Abstract Paintings project was presented at the 29 Palms Visitor Center through the Public Arts Advisory Committee. And in April 2024, hundreds of illustrated patches from the Quirky Characters: Illustrated Patches project were presented at the Joshua Tree National Park Black Rock Art Gallery.

PUBLIC ART INSTALLATION & SHORT FILM & AWARD CEREMONY

September 7, 2024 | 11am - 12pm | 29 Palms Community Center | Freedom Plaza

We will celebrate our students and the Signs of Courage project on September 7, 2024, with the unveiling of thirty-eight signs at the 29 Palms Farmer’s Market from 8 AM to 1 PM, followed by an awards ceremony and the premiere of the documentary short film at the 29 Palms Community Center at 11 AM. The selected signs will be displayed at Freedom Plaza Square throughout September, celebrating the students' achievements.

A special thanks to the City of Twentynine Palms, California for supporting this temporary installation and to all of our community sponsors who provided prizes for our winning students.

TOP 3

Groundwork Arts selected the top 3 signs based on the best overall design.

STICKERS

8 Signs were selected to be stickers.

WINNERS

Each school's entire student body and staff voted at the end of the school year. Here are the results.

1ST PLACE

2ND PLACE

3RD PLACE

FINALISTS

Finalists from each school were voted on at the end of the school year by the entire student body and staff at each school. Take a peek at the finalists below.

Condor Elementary - Finalists