Four of HISD’s 22 entries in the 32nd annual Houston Art Car Parade caught the judges’ attention, winning trophies and even some cash. 

The Art Car Parade judges like to give out numerous awards, so there are winners in multiple categories, including four first-place winners, four second-place winners, and four third-place winners.  

Heights High School students with leader Rebecca Bass won first place for their homage to Texas legend Stevie Ray Vaughn, “Pride & Joy.” This is Bass’s 32nd art car. Bass also received a Lifetime Achievement award, after spending the last 30 years as an Art Car Parade participant.  

The Arabic Immersion Magnet School with Alicia Kahn won third place for their entry, “Bouma, the Global Flying Owl.” 

In the category of Best Youth Entry, the Frank Black Middle School Art Car Club with Julon Pinkston took second place with the “Bangarang Megatron Peevish LeMuy.”  

Simone Hall and her students from Kashmere Gardens Elementary won first place in the Political Statement category for their design, “Past & Present: Unresolved History.”  

And finally, HISD Visual Arts Curriculum Specialist Rickey Polidore also took home first place for “HERMESillac, the Golden Nugget,” a gold Cadillac to which fins and other decorations were added. His partners in creating the art car were Rick Nixie and David LaFleur. 

Nearly 300 cars, bikes, skaters, and motorized creations took some two hours to wind through the streets of Houston and end up back along Allen Parkway. For complete details, see Houston Art Car Parade.