Hixson High School students have earned a spot in the Top 50 of the nationwide Vans Custom Culture competition and are in the running for $75,000 for the school’s art program
A team of students from Hixson High School has earned a spot in the Top 50 of the nationwide Vans Custom Culture competition and are in the running for $75,000 for the school’s art program. The students entered two pairs of Vans shoes they decorated using the contest themes into the contest. Vans sends out shoes to all the participants, requesting them to create designs using two themes provided by the contest organizers. This year’s themes are “Local Flavor” and “Off the Wall.”
For Local Flavor, the Hixson High students decided to highlight iconic sights and symbols of the Greater Chattanooga area. The Hixson entry represents Ruby Falls, Rock City, the Incline Railway, the Choo Choo, Point Park, and cultural icons like the Delta Queen and the Cherokee Water Spider. The Tennessee River can also be seen coursing over both shoes, bringing them together.
In the Off the Wall design, students built platforms to create a cavern underneath. The cave is lit by fairy lights, making the cast resin crystals gleam. Mushrooms dot the subterranean landscape, and a monster defends his treasures. Moss encircles the trim of the shoes, providing a smooth transition from top to bottom. Living plants are placed inside the shoes, while artificial sprouts pop up near the toe.
The Hixson students involved in decorating the shoes were Charlie Dickerson, Alia Smith, Michaela Roberts, Logan Summers, Addison Flannigan, Luke Pfennig, Jade Sharp, Amy Gonzales, Sarah Bargerstock, Josh Green, Tori Gifford, Jocelyn Salter, Suhani Patel, Amanda Lin, and Devin Goforth.
The students’ creativity got the school’s entry into the finals. Now, they are counting on the community to join in the voting to get the grand prize for the school’s art program. National voting opens today and closes on May 4. Individuals can vote once per day at customculture.vans.com.