From concept to kicks: South suburban students turn words into wearable art

HAZEL CREST, Ill. - A final art project has culminated in tangible form for some south suburban students, as they unveiled their creative endeavors in a unique exhibition.

Rather than an English assignment, approximately 1,000 students were tasked with translating their ideas into visual artistry.

From this pool, eight winners emerged with their masterpieces immortalized on sneakers. On Monday, the chosen students eagerly unboxed their customized footwear for the first time.

Dubbed "Concept to Kicks," the assignment engaged students in grades fifth through eighth from Jesse White Learning Academy and Barack Obama Learning Academy in Hazel Crest to unleash their creativity.

Participants were instructed to select a word they believed represented them, and then craft a design layout for the shoe.

Upon selection, Anthony Amos, an artist and collaborator on the project, was entrusted with the blueprint, physically manifesting the chosen design onto the Air Jordans.

"This year, especially to improve ELA interest, we did 'What's the word?' So they had to think of, and we had months of projects that were just based on thinking of a word that represents you. Why it represents you, how it represents you, and how do you communicate that to your audience?" remarked Ben Salus, art instructor.

"I really did love the shoe. It was very creative, and I love how Anthony did it. I'm very proud of it," added one of the students.

Teachers emphasized that hands-on learning has heightened students' interest in various subjects across both schools' classrooms.