High School students from nine Detroit Public Schools Community District (DPSCD) schools showcased their artistic talents and visions to create cover artwork for model Indy Car racing cars in conjunction with the return of the Detroit Grand Prix auto race to the streets of downtown Detroit this coming summer (June 2, 2023-June 4, 2023).  

During a media event showcasing the project at Henry Ford High School where all of the cars were on display, Henry Ford junior, Destanee Hill mesmerized her classmates, student peers and the media with a walk and talk presentation on how the Henry Ford team created the design of their artwork.  

“First, our art teacher, Miss Dobbins, printed out some pictures of an Indy car,” said Destanee. “Next, we all had our ideas and then eventually put them together, with input from Miss Dobbins,” she continued. Destanee then highlighted specific elements of their design which included a heart (representing the Henry Ford team coming together). She pointed to other features of their design such as the iconic Trojan head, the school logo of Henry Ford’s nickname, the Trojans; an image for Black Lives Matter and a dove representing peace. Her compelling presentation drew a round of spontaneous, loud applause from the other assembled schools, who surely related to the journey when creating the artwork for their cars. 

Students were provided with a blank slate of a 1/16th scale model Indy car on a base,  paint and other art materials supplied by a prominent Detroit Grand Prix sponsor to get creative.  The student teams, ranging from between 10-15 students per school, spent months debating, collaborating, and ultimately creating an artistic theme for their scale model car that represented their school, their neighborhoods, the Grand Prix and the City of Detroit This project was supported by their high school teams, the DPSCD Department of Fine Arts and The Detroit City Council.  

“There are some amazing designs here,” said Bud Denker, Chairman of the Grand Prix. “Thank you for the dedication you made. This is all about inclusiveness and bringing communities to downtown this year.”  

With the nine cars now completed, the next phase of the DPSCD Grand Prix art project will be a public display throughout the community for the remainder of the winter and spring. The scale model cars are expected to be at the following locations, in connection with Detroit City Council district maps:  

District 1: 

Design by Henry Ford High School with community placement at Norwest Art Gallery, 19556 Grand River Ave. Detroit 

District 2:  

Design by Mumford High School with community placement at Detroit Pizza Bar, 7316 W. McNichols Rd. in Detroit 

District 3: 

Design by Osborn High School with community placement at SAY Detroit Play Center, 19320 Van Dyke Ave. in Detroit 

District 4 

Design by East English Village Preparatory Academy at Finney, with community placement at The Alger Theatre, 16451 E. Warren Ave. in Detroit.  

District 5  

Design by Martin Luther King Jr. Sr. High School with community placement TBD.  

District 6 

Design by Western International High School with community placement at Kemeny Recreation Center, 2260 S. Fort Street in Detroit 

District 7 

Design by Cody High School with community placement at Boys and Girls Clubs of Southeastern MI: Dick and Sandy Dauch campus, 16500 Tireman Ave. in Detroit  

At-large Community Installation 

Design by Renaissance High School with community placement at the school, 6565 W. Outer Dr. in Detroit  

At Large Community Installation 

Design by Cass Technical High School with community placement at the school, 2501 Second Ave. in Detroit.  

To learn more about the district’s arts program please visit detroitk12.org. 

This is a sure testament for DPSCD students, the Future is Rising!