Art project created by Shelley High School students on display in Jackson
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IDAHO FALLS – The next time you make a trip to Jackson, take a look just before you enter city limits and you’ll notice a piece of artwork on the side of the road created by a group of art students at Shelley High School.
The artwork, which has been on display since last Monday, depicts a puzzle half done with several puzzle pieces inside a metal frame on a pole and several others dangling from the side. You can see it and a timelapse video of the project being installed in the video above.
When asked about the message of the piece, Art Teacher Daniel Borup told EastIdahoNews.com there isn’t anything particularly deep or thoughtful about the art, it’s just a “fun sculpture.”
“We want it to bring a smile to a passerby’s face. It’s just fun to look at,” Borup says.
The student project is part of The ArtSpot, a rotating display from local artisans sponsored by the JH Public Art Project. Borup and his students began working on it at the beginning of the school year after responding to the organization’s public call to artists.
“I was trying to figure out a good project for my sculpture class to do and when I saw it, I (thought) it would be cool if I had my students create a proposal,” says Borup. “Everybody drew their designs. I sent all of them in as one proposal … and they chose ours.”
Of the seven different designs included in the submitted proposal, it was the design from his student Isis Brinker that was selected. She and 14 of her classmates spent weeks creating the project that’s now on display.
While the vision for the piece did not change during the process of building it, Borup and his students realized that fitting it into a school bus for the 2-hour drive to Jackson would require additional engineering. The Artspot is 6 feet by 10 feet and the door on the back of the bus is only 5 feet.
After successfully loading and installing it as a team, Borup says he’s proud of his student’s efforts.
The project titled, “A Puzzling Escape,” will be on display for the next six months and Borup hopes it brings joy to those who see it.
“I just hope people enjoy it,” he says. “Public art … is a great way to beautify our world and make life
a little more interesting. I expect this piece to do exactly that.”
