ABQ Ride and APS Students Team to Create Special Ads for Buses

March 11, 2015
Now, ABQ RIDE and Albuquerque Public Schools are honoring middle and high school students whose artwork will now grace a city bus. The winning artwork was presented at a news conference at the Uptown Transit Center at 2121 Indiana NE.

When ABQ Ride considered placing some creative, eye-catching designs on its buses for its “Let’s Clear the Air” campaign, it turned to one of the largest and most creative sources of art in Albuquerque; the students of Albuquerque Public Schools.

Now, ABQ Ride and Albuquerque Public Schools are honoring middle and high school students whose artwork will now grace a city bus. The winning artwork was presented at a news conference at the Uptown Transit Center at 2121 Indiana NE.

“Our partnership with APS meant we could tap into a vast, creative talent to help us articulate how public transportation helps the community,” said Bruce Rizzieri, director of ABQ Ride. “What we got was some of the most spectacular art ever seen on our buses.”

“I am very proud of these talented young artists and pleased to be partnering with ABQ Ride to promote a positive public message that helps the city of Albuquerque,” said APS Interim Superintendent Brad Winter. “I’m looking forward to seeing this bus on the street where the public will have an opportunity to enjoy the talent and the thoughtfulness of our students.”

The collaboration began last March, when ABQ Ride asked APS students to paint, draw or computer-generate a bright, bold design that had to include the phrase “Let’s Clear the Air.”  Students received an ABQ Ride fact sheet that helped them better understand how public transportation helps the community.

Contest winners were:

·         Edgar Acosta, Van Buren Middle School 7th grader (teacher Larry Anzures)

·         Darlene Sattanak, Sandia High junior (teacher Gail Ranshaw)

·         Maria Payne and Kellsie Giras, nex+Gen Academy sophomores (teacher Camilla Haneberg).

Six more student-designed ads will be displayed inside a number of buses. Those student artists are:

·         Bailey Latimore and Amber Aragon, nex+Gen Academy juniors (teacher Camilla Haneberg)

·         Destiny Ramirez, sophomore and Jordan Caldwell and Santiago Davila, seniors at West Mesa High (teacher Ann Blankenship)

·         Marc Blowers, Sandia High sophomore (teacher Gail Ranshaw)

The students’ bus ads will be displayed on an ABQ RIDE bus for a year as part of the “Let’s Clear the Air” campaign.