West Deptford Art Students Bare Their 'Soles' For Vans Art Competition
By Ray Boyd
WEST DEPTFORD, Nj. (CBS) -- Students at West Deptford High School are coming together to combine art and shoes. Their effort will use the medium to tell a story about the place they call home, while also making a statement about the world we live in.
The popular shoe company Vans is once again holding their Vans Custom Culture contest and students at West Deptford High School have jumped into the running.
The goal of the contest is to urge high school students to express themselves through art and design. The company is hoping to shed light on the circumstances of dwindling budgets facing many schools across America. A lack of funds, sometimes leads to a lack of support for programs like art, but that doesn't mean the talent isn't there in our students.
As the kids at West Deptford High School showed in their submissions for the contest, the talent is alive and well.
Participating schools were sent four pairs of blank Vans for art students to customize around the themes local flavor, art, action sports and music.
Vans is currently reviewing submissions and on April 27, the top 50 will be announced and it will be open to public voting. Votes will determine the top 5 schools who will be judged to name the winner of $50,000.
West Deptford art teacher Kristin Lamelas' spoke with CBSPhilly.com about the contest and what inspired her and students at the school to get involved.
"I always like to give my students real life projects," Lamelas said in regards to what made her want to get involved. In January, Lamelas entered the school, not knowing if they would get picked as contestants.
"In March, I got a note back and all of a sudden a whole box of Vans showed up," she said.
The brainstorming process began. Lamelas said that her students were excited to express themselves on a brand that many of them already loved.
Senior Ben Weidner designed the music shoe. Sophomore Stephen Jankauskas designed the action sports shoe. Junior Jamal Keith designed a local flavor shoe inspired by New Jersey, while sophomore Connor Jupin designed one inspired by Philadelphia.
The art shoe for the contest was designed by junior Jamal Keith titled "Building Bridges."
"He had a really strong idea from the get go about building bridges instead of walls," Lamelas said. Keith's shoe features hands coming together and flags from across the world to symbolize unity. "I thought that was a really strong concept," Lamelas said.
She added that Keith originally intended to build an actual bridge between the shoes, but time got in the way of that plan.
She called his interpretation "timely," citing the current political culture.
Lamelas discussed the benefit that comes with art programs in schools. As budgets decrease, arts are often impacted, but Lamelas believes the students do get tangible benefits from being able to express themselves in a creative way.
"They're just incredibly important," she said of art programs. "The arts teach creative and out of the box thinking and I think that's just as essential in the workplace. It forces students to think of different ways to solve real life problems."
