The walls of the Kenosha County District Attorney’s Office were lit up Friday with the colors of custom art designed by high school students from across the county.
The district attorney’s office partnered with Bradford, Tremper, Indian Trail, Reuther and Wilmot high schools on the project earlier this year. Each school culminated in artwork designed by a team of art students.
On Friday, students and school officials unveiled the pieces to office staff members, then dined on pizza and cake.
Attorney Jennifer Phan, a former district attorney and a member of the county society’s attorney’s office, helped come up with the idea. She asked the students to paint their “vision of Kenosha”.
“We wanted to show some of the local art from some of our up-and-coming artists here,” Phan said. “We are extremely impressed with all of your abilities and thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your time and effort.”
The DA’s office provided the schools with paints and canvases.
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District Attorney Michael Graveley said the paintings were well received.
“It’s our honor in this office to be in front of and with so many young artists,” said Graveley. “Over the past two years Kenosha has had a lot of tough times, so we share a lot of those tough times. Public art has the ability to inspire when it’s at its best and uplift.
Graveley said the students “filled those walls like a gift to give us a chance to have those best times even in our darkest times.”
Students choose what to highlight
Isabela Alba, Dakota Beresford, Makayla Hamilton, Chester Hester, and Damyla Mack created Reuther’s installation which featured Carl the Turkey, Reuther High School, and an AMC vehicle.
Elizabeth Toffel and Jaime Bremer created Wilmot Central’s installation showing a downtown street.
Vari Pollard, Victoria Jarencio, Caleb Miller, Avi Humi, and Emma Gough created the piece of Indian Trail by Kenosha’s downtown lake and streetcar.
“It was a fun thing to do,” Jarencia said. She hopes to become a graphic designer one day.
Bradford students Abbi Hale, Justine Loewen, Marissa Reyes and Cinthya Quinteros Velasquez created signs featuring the Kenosha Kingfish baseball team, the Kenosha City logo and Mars Cheese Castle.
“We all worked on it together for a few months,” Loewen said. “I did a bit of everything”
Tremper students Ruby Becker, Heidi Falk, MacKenzie Fraher, Tristan Kreuser, Ashley Osorio and Lucia Ricker created panels showcasing The Spot Drive-In and aerial views of the city.