While Dowagiac is known for its collection of sculptures and statues, throughout the past year, another form of public art has caught the attention of motorists coming through town.

Last year, in an effort to spruce up the backs of the dozen wayfinding signs erected around city limits in 2015, local leaders began looking for bold and vibrant artwork that would instantly capture the interest of people passing by.

Officials did not need to look very far to find talented artists to recruit for the effort — they simply turned to the art rooms of Dowagiac’s schools.

On Monday, city leaders thanked several young artists who lent their imagination and creativity to the project during a presentation at that evening’s city council meeting. Officials recognized four of the 12 students whose artwork was placed on the backs of the signs last year: Dowagiac Middle School student Annabelle Wheeler, Dowagiac Union High School student Hanna Ruff and recent DUHS graduates Katerina Evans and Olga Dickson-French.

A panel of judges — comprised of elected officials, city staff, teachers, business owners and residents — selected the dozen art pieces last year, said Bobbie Jo Hartline, who spearheaded the effort. Hartline worked with Dowagiac Union Schools Superintendent Paul Hartsig and Dowagiac Union High School art instructor Dean Hill to gather submissions for the project.

Hill, who attended Monday’s meeting, said he thought the project was “a cool idea” when Hartline approached him with it. He encouraged his students to create artwork for the signs, asking them to come up with simple subjects that were close to their hearts, and use bold colors and designs to create their works.

“It is exciting,” Hill said. “For the city to give these students this opportunity is really special.”

The artwork was placed on the backside of the wayfinding signs — which normally hold information on upcoming city events — last spring, in order to provide decoration during slower periods of the year when there are few festivals to advertise, said Dowagiac Mayor Don Lyons.

“Those have far outperformed the intent of the signs, which was to help visitors get around the community,” Lyons said. “Now everybody goes to the backside to see what is on display. It has been great. I personally look forward to each new presentation, and I look forward to seeing them for years to come.”

Wheeler created her piece — a stylized drawing of a baron tree atop a multicolored background — as a project in art class last year, she said. She was surprised to learn that not only was her piece good enough for submission to the city’s project, but that it had been selected to go up on one of the signs.

“It was pretty awesome,” Wheeler said, about seeing her work on display last year. “I didn’t even expect it.”

She was the only middle school artist who had her piece featured last year.

The student said she is an avid artist in her spare time as well, and hopes to pursue a career in art after she graduates.

Dickson-French created her piece in Hill’s class last year. Her work, a tempera painting, depicts winter, summer and fall. Michigan’s dynamically different seasons are a particularly important to her, as she grew up in Florida before moving north, she said.

“I originally received a ‘B’ on the project, but Mr. Hill changed it to an ‘A’ after it was selected,” Dickson-French joked.

The city recently selected a new batch of student-created artwork for display on the signs, which is currently up for viewing.