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Joplin High School juniors Azriel Provins (left) and Lanita Rood work on a sign for the band called Shopping Center.

Juniors Kat Abelein (left) and Leigh Richardson work recently at Joplin High School on a sign for the band North Main for Porchfest. GLOBE | ROGER NOMER

Joplin High School sophomore Natasha Hart creates a sign for the band Whitlee for Porchfest. Her work is part of a project for Luke Smith’s painting class at Joplin High School. GLOBE | ROGER NOMER

Grayden Cravens, senior, works on his sign for the band Root 358 for Porchfest. His artwork will flag band’s location at the festival Oct. 1 in Joplin’s North Heights neighborhood. GLOBE | ROGER NOMER

Joplin High School juniors Azriel Provins (left) and Lanita Rood work on a sign for the band called Shopping Center.

Juniors Kat Abelein (left) and Leigh Richardson work recently at Joplin High School on a sign for the band North Main for Porchfest. GLOBE | ROGER NOMER

Joplin High School sophomore Natasha Hart creates a sign for the band Whitlee for Porchfest. Her work is part of a project for Luke Smith’s painting class at Joplin High School. GLOBE | ROGER NOMER

Grayden Cravens, senior, works on his sign for the band Root 358 for Porchfest. His artwork will flag band’s location at the festival Oct. 1 in Joplin’s North Heights neighborhood. GLOBE | ROGER NOMER

The first exhibit for Luke Smith’s painting students at Joplin High School will be bigger than usual. Their work will be viewed by hundreds of people.

Students are working on signs for each of the 30 musical acts playing during this year’s North Heights Porchfest.

“We’re excited to do something for such a cool event,” Smith said. “It will validate their creativity. When someone wants to see your stuff, that makes you feel like a legitimate artist. Hopefully it encourages them to see other cool things happening in the community and to have a role in that community.”

The festival, slated for 2 to 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 1, features musical acts performing on the front porches that are so common on the historic homes in the northern Joplin neighborhood. Instead of relying on sidewalk chalk for pointing out bands, the signs will help attendees know who is performing.

“The problem with chalk is that it doesn’t stick when it rains,” said Theresa Clift, co-chair of the organizing committee. “This way, we can have beautiful art that we can use for years for the returning bands.”

Smith has been one of the featured performers in Porchfest, now in its sixth year. So has Joplin High School Principal Stephen Gilbreth, who performs as part of the act Dr. G and the Tall Man.

That means a handful of students in the class will be painting a sign for their teacher’s or principal’s act.

Victoria Montez and Emily Evans, seniors, embraced the challenge. They picked that tall order before the assignment became a short straw.

“Because he is the principal, we got the chance to talk to him and get some colors and sensations for the poster,” Montez said. “We want to make sure it’s really presentable and matches the vibe that Dr. G and the Tall Man give off.”

Clift said the 24-by-36-inch signs will be painted on corrugated plastic sheets, similar to what is used for real estate and political yard signs. Volunteers spent time sanding and priming the sheets so that they would better handle the students’ acrylic paint.

Smith said the size concerned some students at first.

“This is bigger than anything else they will do,” Smith said. “When the first project of the year is huge and very visible, some were a little anxious.”

As for what they will paint, students have plenty of leeway. Smith said this is the students’ first project of the year, and they can explore a variety of directions as simple or elaborate as they wish.

“Porchfest has a lot of different genres of music,” Smith said. “Students picked the bands they wanted based on name and genre. They had access to some of their music so they could get some sort of vibe about what they wanted to bring to their sign.”

Montez said she and Evans are working to capture a visual representation of a groovy vibe, interpreting something that people can get lost in.

The challenge of painting something bigger, to be viewed by hundreds of community members, is something the students are eager to tackle, Montez said.

“After showing our art in school hallways, we got used to people looking,” Montez said. “This allows me to get used to a bigger project, something that is bigger than a copy sheet of paper.”

Clift said that in addition to performances throughout the neighborhood, bigger acts will be featured near the event’s dining area.

Joe Hadsall is the digital editor for The Joplin Globe. He has been the editor of the former Nixa News-Enterprise and has worked for the Christian County Headliner News and 417 Magazine.

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