Eastern Iowa teenagers witnessed the culmination of their creativity, collaboration, and critical thinking as colorful cars crashed into each other at the Dubuque County Fairgrounds.

Just Crushing: A Demolition Derby is a public art project and summer camp that allowed 25 Eastern Iowa students to express their thoughts on social issues important to them. This included issues like reproductive rights, climate change, democracy, discrimination, and mental health.

The teens did this by artfully decorating five demolition derby cars, featuring topics of their choosing.

The project culminated in the civic-themed, winner-takes-all demolition derby heat featuring all five cars at the Dubuque County Fair Sunday, July 27, while more than 300 spectators clapped and cheered on the sidelines. The derby heat was originally scheduled July 20 at the Muscatine County Fairgrounds but was cancelled due to heavy rains.

Adult drivers operated the cars, but it was the students who designed and painted them to reflect topics they care about. The “Climate Change” car earned the People’s Choice Award, while “Reproductive Rights” won the derby heat.

“I loved getting to know my teammates and seeing different perspectives,” says Lily Rantanen, 17, of Iowa City, a rising senior at City High School. “Coming from a bigger city, it was eye-opening to hear what rural students had to say.”

Rantanen’s team focused on reproductive rights, incorporating bold visuals like a uterus, Roe v. Wade symbols, and birth control into their design.

“Painting a giant uterus on a car is literally a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” she says. “It felt powerful to use art to spark conversation.”

Before painting, teams created designs using paper models, 3D prototypes, and full-size mockups of car panels.

“My favorite part was working together to agree on a topic and message and watching it all come to life,” Rantanen says.

As executive editor of her school newspaper and a member of the debate team this coming year, Rantanen says the experience helped her grow.

“We talked through tough issues, learned from each other, and expressed ourselves through art,” she says. “I’ve used graphics in journalism before, but this showed me how visual storytelling can be activism.”

Georgia Clark, 14, of West Liberty, says the highlight of the experience was hearing the crowd cheer for her team’s car as it won the People’s Choice Award — but for her, it was about more than just winning.

“I joined the project because it seemed like a fun, creative way to learn about civics, and I liked the idea of painting cars, especially since my mom won’t let me paint her Subaru,” Clark says with a smile. “What really stood out was getting to collaborate with other Iowa students and hearing different perspectives on current issues.”

She describes the camp as “fun, engaging, and interactive,” and says she’s grateful for the opportunity, especially as she starts her freshman year at West Liberty High School this fall.

“I learned how to better collaborate with people from different backgrounds and how to express myself in new ways,” she says. “Those are skills I know will help me in future jobs or projects – and help me grow into a more outgoing person.”

The project, designed to benefit youth like Rantanen and Clark, was conceived nearly five years ago by Allison Rowe, assistant professor of art education at the University of Iowa College of Education, and her collaborator, Nancy Nowacek, associate professor of design at Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, New Jersey. They partnered with Maia Sheppard, assistant professor of social studies education, to lead the camp – supported by dozens of local businesses and community members.

“County fairs are an important part of Iowan culture, and the demolition derby is a unique way for teens to showcase their ideas in a form that is fun and reflects our community,” Rowe explains.

Rowe says it was gratifying to see the project culminate with the derby heat after so much planning and hard work from the youth participants, volunteers, and community partners. 

 “I am grateful to both the Muscatine and Dubuque County Fair organizers for working with us,” Rowe says. “The folks at Dubuque were great about squeezing us in because they wanted to support these teens who have worked so hard. It really feels like the spirit of community, connection, and celebration that is at the heart of Iowa’s county fairs, and I am proud of all the youth who participated.”

While the heat provided entertainment for spectators, this demolition derby heat was about much more than recreation or sports. 

The team worked with UI art and social studies education students and alumni to lead Art & Civics Camps for these 25 middle and high school students (ages 14–17) from Eastern Iowa in June. All participants are involved in a research study as part of the project. 

The project aims to:

• Teach technical and artistic skills like graphic design, laser cutting, vinyl cutting, typography, and painting
• Provide a creative outlet for teens to express their civic and social viewpoints in a public forum
• Promote dialogue across differing perspectives through collaborative work
• Celebrate local culture through participation in a beloved Iowan tradition: the demolition derby at the county fair

Participants attended one of two different five-day Art & Civics Camps in June at the Kirkwood Regional Center in the University of Iowa College of Education’s Makerspace. Working in teams, they designed and decorated five cars, each themed around a different social or political issue that they selected because of its impact on their lives as Iowan youth.

“During the camp, the teen artists did an incredible job of listening to one another and finding ways to visually represent their different perspectives,” Rowe says. 

For example, the group that decided to create a car about reproductive rights used the metaphor of a path to represent some of the factors that influence Iowan youth’s perspectives on reproductive decisions, including religious beliefs, access to healthcare, and laws. 

“There were moments when some of the artists became uncomfortable with the message that some of their design choices were conveying, so they brought their group together to discuss how they might compromise or make changes so everyone could stand behind their final artwork,” Rowe adds. “It was incredible to see how they were able to use artmaking to connect in unexpected ways, and the resulting car designs are fantastic.”

Support for this project was provided by the Big Field Fund, a program of Public Space One, whose funding is provided by the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts. It is also supported by a grant from the Iowa Arts Council, made possible by the Iowa Economic Development Authority.