Our Classroom Journey

As an educator, there’s nothing quite like seeing your students apply their skills to real-world projects. That’s why I’m bursting with pride to share how our high school artists have left their mark on the City of Lenoir’s new Wayfinding Program.

The Call for Artists

Earlier this year, the City of Lenoir put out a call for local artists to contribute to their Wayfinding Program. The city was looking for creative minds to design embellishments for these signs, which will help guide both residents and visitors through our beautiful community.

This was a perfect opportunity to engage the Advanced Technologies Academy students in a meaningful civic project. The students were challenged to create designs that would capture the essence of Lenoir across six categories: Industry, Arts/Music, Science/Tech, Environmental, Sports/Outdoors, and Community.

The Design Challenge

The students had to adhere to specific technical specifications:

• For major signs: 24″ x 24″ upper embellishments and 12″ x 12″ lower embellishments
• For minor signs: 22″ x 22″ upper embellishments and 10.5″ x 10.5″ lower embellishments

The catch? These designs needed to be simple enough for CNC (Computer Numerical Control) cutout, essentially creating shadow images where the outline and negative space form the picture. This constraint pushed our students to think creatively within limitations – a valuable skill in any field.

Our Students’ Success

I’m thrilled to announce that six of our talented students had their designs selected for the wayfinding signs! Their artwork will now be featured throughout Lenoir, serving not just as decorative elements but as representations of our city’s identity.

These students managed to capture the spirit of Lenoir in their designs, from our industrial heritage to our commitment to the arts, our technological advancements, our beautiful environment, our love for sports and outdoor activities, and the strong sense of community that binds us all.

Looking Ahead

The selected designs are now with the sign manufacturer, and fabrication has begun. We can expect to see these wayfinding signs, adorned with our students’ artwork, installed around mid-Fall 2024.

This project has been more than just a design competition. It’s been a lesson in civic engagement, a chance for our students to contribute to their community in a tangible, lasting way. It’s shown them that their skills and creativity have real-world applications and that they have the power to shape the world around them.

As we eagerly await the installation of these signs, I can’t help but feel that this project has planted seeds of civic pride and artistic confidence in our students. Who knows? This might be the first step in a lifelong journey of using their talents to improve their communities.

To our six winning students: congratulations! Your designs will guide people through our city for years to come. And to all the students who participated: be proud of your efforts. You’ve all contributed to a vibrant discussion about how we represent our community.

As we drive around Lenoir next fall, spotting these new signs, I hope we’ll all feel a sense of pride – not just in the beauty of our city, but in the talented young people who are helping to shape its future.