A collage of steel panels etched from childrens imaginations make a fun boundary along a fence line at Whitewater Boulevard and Whittier Elementary, a Title 1 school. Funded by the City of Boise, and with collaboration from local artists Margo and Dennis Proska, students from K to 6th grade created a variety of drawings from an assortment of themes.

Using the student drawings as templates, permanent images were cut out of steel plate and framed. Each of the ten unique 2 by 10 foot panels were then hot-dip galvanized for preservation from the weather and elements.

Special care was taken to properly vent the frame work and ensure the design was suitable to highlight and compliment the detail of the artists images in the plate. The galvanized coating proved to be a superior protective base for the black polyester powder top coat.

During the project, students were immersed in the art process as they talked about the subjects they created for each panel and how steel art is produced. Margo Proska noted, They were shown art history from around the world and observed that art is a universal language that knows no borders and binds humanity from one generation to the next.

The students drew from the heart and provided an abundance of drawings that were repeated, flipped, scaled up and down to create patterns that would be cut into steel plate panels. The art reflects the changing demographics of the City of Boise.

It depicts the imaginations of Whittier Elementary students that speak 13 different languages and many of them new immigrants. It is a culmination of community involvement and student artistic expression.

The hot-dip galvanized and powder coated finish of each panel ensures the images captured from these wonderfully creative and diverse imaginations could be frozen in time for future generations to enjoy.