Tong Guan, Christian Arias-Carrasco, Brad Deans and Brittany Howey are in Gleneagle secondary's Graphic Arts 11/12 class that created a public art project at the Coquitlam school, called We Are YOUth.
Guan, 18, a Grade 12 student, devised the project with Arias-Carrasco as photographer after seeing a YouTube video of the French street artist J.R. In less than three weeks and with a budget of $500, the class organized and photographed 120 students over the age of 16 and glued the black-and-white images on large foam boards, using acrylic to protect the photos. They will hang on the school's west and north fences over the summer.
"We want to show people that youth are just like everybody else," Guan said. "Teens are shy, happy, sad, energetic... and we wanted to have a positive spin on youth, not continue the stereotypes that people think we are."
