TERRA FIRMA
School: The Art Car Cooperative at Houston Community College
Artist: Ashley Hope
Category: Art Car, Painted Car, School or Youth Group
Base Vehicle: 2006 Ford Ambulance
Year Created: 2021
Featured in Houston Art Car Parade: Never before seen!
From the Artist: The Art Car Cooperative at Houston Community College is a STEAM project that brings together students from across many disciplines in order to design, engineer, and construct art cars exemplary of HCC's innovative and collaborative spirit.
For the 2021 Art Car Event, HCC has transformed an ambulance into a narrative of "rebirth after destruction". The idea was conceived by the students after their realization that they were all at HCC after some sort of obstacle. Perhaps it is the character of a community college: The students are grabbing at chances their parents never had, or at second chances they weren’t sure would ever come to them. But always, the idea was about becoming more: ashes to full bloom.
I think the students at Houston Community College don’t just feel this way about their college, but also their city. After Harvey, and now Covid, they are communicating the entire city's will to overcome, to be reborn after hardship. So, through welding, painting, 3D printing, electrical engineering, and more, the HCC art car team created a design that was meant to offer all Houstonians an opportunity to get to higher ground—hence the title of the project: Terra Firma.
Awards
2021
Judge’s Choice
People’s Choice
Art Cartist’s Choice
HCC Art Car Bikes Take Grand Trophy in 2019 Parade
Led by Ashley Hope, Studio Arts Instructor and Resident Artist of the West Houston Institute, the Art Car Cooperative entry -- Titled: “Skybound Enterprises" Themed: "Soaring Possibilities" -- was awarded the Grand Trophy of the Cycle Division (Bike brigades, scooters, motorless entries) for 2019. The $500 award goes to Student Activities.
HCC teamed up with Houston-based bicycle charity FreeWheels Houston in order to bring you fantasy Frankenbikes—Carnival Bike and Airplane Bike—designed by students Seth Moody, Ricardo Rivera & Jessica Arone Wosniack, respectively.
The Houston Art Car Parade is powered by The Orange Show Center for Visionary Art.
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From Jennifer Gardner
0 likes 0HCC’s Art Car is the culmination of the STEAM Artist in Residency at the West Houston Institute made possible with the support of Dr. Ewen, Dr. Hodges, and Dr.… -
From Jennifer Gardner
0 likes 0Look for the HCC Art Car Cooperative ambulance. Directed by professor Ashley Hope, the 2021 entry is designed and made by students, who came up with the theme… -
From Jennifer Gardner
0 likes 0The HCCTV gang takes a closer look at Houston’s Art Car Exhibition with first-hand experience and an in-depth interview with HCC’s Artist-in-Residence at the… -
From Jennifer Gardner
0 likes 0A message from Dean Colleen about Art Car 2021: I am thrilled to announce that "Terra Firma", our entry into the Houston Art Car Experience, has swept the… -
From Jennifer Gardner
0 likes 0Up To The Minute spotlights HCC’s Art Car for its “Virtual Family Fun Day,” featuring the District-wide collaboration blending artistic creativity and… -
From Jennifer Gardner
0 likes 0The HCCTV Student Lounge is a newscast produced by HCC students, for HCC students. Professor Ashley Hope shares an update to the Art Car Parade and HCC's entry. -
From Jennifer Gardner
0 likes 0(Recorded pre-COVID-19 Shutdown, February 2020)Ashley Hope, Art professor, and Israel Garza, West Houston Institute, talk with host Dr. Toni Rao-Southerlan about how WHI… -
From Jennifer Gardner
0 likes 01:40—7:35 Ashley Hope Visual Arts Professor and Art Car Cooperative on HCCTV’s Up to the Minute, April 03, 2020. -
From Jennifer Gardner
0 likes 0In this HCCTV Remote Report, HCCTV videographer and student Caio de Aragon Cruz provides an update regarding the 2020 Houston Art Car Parade. -
From Jennifer Gardner
0 likes 0Before the Houston Art Car Parade was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, students were busy working on an entry that would represent both Houston Community College… -
From Jennifer Gardner
0 likes 0Led by Ashley Hope, Studio Arts Instructor and Resident Artist of the West Houston Institute, the Art Car Cooperative entry -- Titled: “Skybound Enterprises"… -
From Jennifer Gardner
0 likes 0Think Art Car, Frankenbike, Moving Artwork… Think Fabrication Techniques in Multiple Disciplines… Think Creative Cooperative for College…