Middle schoolers build Art Car honoring Olmec Civilization

HOUSTON, Texas -- Ancient stone-like figures inspired by one of the world's earliest civilizations will be hitting the streets of downtown Houston.

Students at Tanglewood Middle School have been building an Art Car to honor the Olmec Civilization, combining creativity, culture, and hands-on learning.

The project is led by teacher Teresa Megahan, who explained, "It represents a culture from 2,500 years ago. I mean, these people created the alphabet, they created calendars,"

In the video above, students explained how they used papier-mache and foam to create symbols of the Olmecs, such as a werejaguar, the corn god, and a fish monster.

Team Gillman Auto Group donated the vehicle to the school three years ago.

Since then, the dedicated Art Car class has crafted a new design each year, with the students working on the project throughout most of the school year.

"It helps build family, it helps build community in the kids, and then they get out there to show their work," Megahan said.

You can see "Olmec Odyssey" on Saturday, April 11, at the Houston Art Car Parade, presented by Team Gillman

The 39th annual parade will feature over 250 art cars and other entries from 23 states, in addition to international vehicles from Canada and Mexico.

ABC13 will live stream the 39th Annual Houston Art Car Parade starting at 2pm on Saturday, April 11.