Have you seen the beautiful new banners along Stevens Creek and near City Center? They are designed by our very own Cupertino students to advertise Cupertino Safe Routes to School! These banners are a great way of bringing community art to public spaces to encourage and promote alternative transportation use by students throughout the City.
Cupertino SR2S held a contest in late 2019 to encourage students from our local high schools of Monta Vista, Cupertino and Homestead to think about how they would illustrate through public art the importance of active transportation. After review of all the entries by our Safe Routes to School Coordinator Cherie Walkowiak and Assistant Matt Schroeder, six banner designs were chosen. Three of the winning designs were from Cupertino High, and one came from Monta Vista High.
Walk-Bike Cupertino thanks these students for their dedication to encouraging walking and biking in Cupertino. Congratulations to all the winners! (Click the pictures for a closer look at the banners.)
“Clear Skies and Safe Rides” by Fiona Luo
““Clear Skies, Safe Rides” reflects the joy of walking and biking, both of which are sustainable forms of transportation. The banner depicts a biking girl and a walking boy moving over a sunny sky with clouds. The figures are illustrated using brightcolors such as red and white in order to capture the viewer’s focus and make the figures more identifiable. In addition, the green background not only sets a positive tone for the banner but also represents the environmental benefits of walking and biking. Most importantly, the banner’s vivid colors, concise figures, and large text make it understandable for drivers to see while moving quickly. ~Fiona Luo
“The Bliss of Biking” by Kathy Lou
“As cities have the economic responsibility to promote alternative modes of pollution-free transport such as biking, my design highlights the joy of biking. I hope that all residents, of all ages, in the City of Cupertino will be able to understand and recognize the enjoyment that biking brings to the table. Through my design, I utilized a variety of vibrant and smooth color themes in order to catch the attention of pedestrians and residents that pass by, in the hope that they will feel inspired to get on a bike instead of resorting to driving. The vibrant colors also represent happiness, as my design conveys that through alternative modes of pollution-free transport, it would ultimately benefit the environment, establishing a happy and joyful mood.” ~Kathy Lou
“Getting to School Safely” by Indira Abhyanker
“My design has a ribbon banner that symbolizes a road. The yellow dashed lines, that are usually in the middle of a road, connect the house (at the bottom) and the school (on top) to show a “route” to school. My artwork aligns with the theme of active and sustainable transportation because along the path, there are kids walking, biking, and scootering, which are all healthy and environmentally friendly ways to get to school. I hope my banner will inspire our community to make a cleaner, safer Cupertino.” ~ Indira Abhyanker
“Riding for my Planet” by Claudia Kok and Abigail Ho
““Riding for my Planet” depicts the environmental benefits of biking.
Less pollution every day will allow us to happily coexist with the planets, plants, and animals- even creatures such as the two-legged fish!” ~Claudia Kok and Abigail Ho
The information in this article is solely the opinion of the author and Walk-Bike Cupertino and does not reflect the opinions of any other organization or entity. For more information, contact WBC at info@walkbikecupertino.org.