Team of high school students and two brothers win Michelin’s InTireNational Art Contest
GREENVILLE, S.C., April 7, 2016 – Michelin today announced the winners of the InTIREnational Art contest at a ceremony held at its North American headquarters.
A team of judges selected Jason and Zane Meadors, twin brothers who create art together in their free time, to win the Judge’s Choice award, and a team of high school students from the J. Harley Bonds Career Center earned the fan favorite People’s Choice award by earning the most votes online. Each team will receive $5,000 from Michelin to benefit a charity of its choice.
The contest, now in its third year, celebrates the ever-changing and diverse nature of South Carolina’s Upstate region as part of Upstate International month. This year, more than 575 individuals from 28 teams worked for more than 1,000 hours over the course of six weeks to complete their artistic submissions to the contest.
The works were on display for the public at the Hughes Main Library in Greenville during March and paid tribute to the various industries and businesses in the region by transforming four recycled Michelin tires into a piece of art that addresses the theme of celebrating international inclusion in the Upstate. This year’s collection featured creations like a pineapple and sushi roll, an American flag, a wise old owl and even the iconic Falls Park Liberty Bridge.
“It is powerful that even after three years we continue to see incredible work created from recycled tires,” said Leesa Owens, director of community relations for Michelin North America. “There seems to be no limit to the creativity that flourishes in our community.”
To select the winners, Michelin enlisted the help of the Upstate community residents. A team of judges familiar with the region’s thriving art culture selected a winner, and then the public selected a “people’s choice” winner by casting votes on the contest’s website.
Judge’s Choice Award Winner: Jason and Zane Meadors, “Meadors Twinnovation”
Jason and Zane Meadors are twin brothers who have been creating together for years. Upstate natives, they were inspired to create a life-size Palmetto tree with a crescent that cradles a globe. At 10’ tall, the “PalmeTIRE” tree represents the toughness and durability that Michelin tires are known for and the growing sense of inclusion in the Upstate. The tree took more than 120 hours of work and is made from 140 linear feet of rebar, scrap tires and hundreds of nuts, bolts and screws.
This is the second entry for the creative brothers. Last year, they created a remarkable piece entitled “The Eiffel Tire.” The Meadors’ $5,000 award will benefit Meals on Wheels of Greenville.
People’s Choice Award Winner: J. Harley Bonds Career Center
Under the direction of Mark Spencer, Mechtronics teacher at the Bonds Career Center, students in the Mechtronics program worked together to create a piece of work that celebrates how, like the Olympic Games, companies like Michelin bring people together from all over the world. Mr. Spencer has worked with Michelin’s Technical Scholars program for several years and emphasized that the students were inspired by the Olympic Games taking place later this year. “My class agreed that the Olympics have always brought people together from all over the world. We talk about Michelin and what Michelin means to our area, specifically. Just as the Olympics bring the entire world together, Michelin brings the entire Upstate together by taking us anywhere we want to go.”
The students’ $5,000 award will be used to support ongoing projects and programs at the J. Harley Bonds Career Center.