Thanks to a collaboration with the Octagon Center for the Arts, this month seven Cy-Ride buses bear the artwork of Ames elementary students.

The paintings, drawings and paper collages were posted on the advertisement sections of the buses’ interiors last week, creating Ames’ “mobile art gallery” until mid-May, said Cy-Ride Marketing Coordinator Barb Neal.

“It’s featuring some of our little artists in Ames,” Neal said. “It’s also an opportunity for kids to learn a little bit more about the bus.”

Neal said that the project drew artwork from preschool to elementary-school ages, allowing each artist to choose his or her own composition medium and subject.

“Some kids used finger paints, some used acrylic and we even had some works made of pieces of paper glued together,” Neal said.

Representatives of the Octagon Center, 427 Douglas Ave., contacted all of the preschool and elementary schools in Ames about the displays. The Ames Community Preschool Center, Joyful Heart Preschool in Gilbert, Iowa State University Child Development Center, University Community Child Care and St. Cecilia’s Elementary participated.

Darlene Tope of the Octagon Center said the project was organized over the last six weeks by a committee staffed by representatives of Mary Greeley Medical Center, University Community Child Care and the Octagon Center.

Tope said that although response from Ames elementary schools wasn’t as great as had been hoped, the work presented by the five schools and Octagon Center art classes was a success.

“Some people don’t realize how talented our kids are in this town at that level,” Tope said.

Tope’s granddaughter, Tiffany, a first-grader, presented her drawing on bus 912, a composition including many people and a kitchen with a checkered floor.

“She did a great job. She loves to draw for Grandma,” Tope said.

Lauren Rohweder of St. Cecilia’s School said nearly all of her 31 kindergartners drew 11 x 14 inch compositions with markers for the buses. They were allowed to draw whatever they wanted, she said.

“The kids were very excited to do this,” she said, “I have some very talented kids in my class.”

Neal said that while this year’s artwork didn’t have a set theme, dominant subject matter included ISU cyclone emblems, butterflies and Cy-Ride buses.

Cy-Ride displays the artwork in time for Veishea each year in order to “show off” some of the young talent in Ames, Neal said.

A reception for the displays was held on Sunday in the conference room of Cy-Ride headquarters, 1700 6th St., where kids got the chance to tour buses, the bus station and to show their work to their families.

Cy-Ride also gave out passes for free bus rides over Veishea weekend.

“It was a chance to show parents that Cy-Ride does a lot for kids, I think, like our Project Child Safe Program, which allows a child to get on the bus if they feel they’re being followed,” Neal said.