GM's "Trucks for Texas" Campaign Debuts San Antonio Vehicle

Local San Antonio Students Create Artwork on a Steel Canvas Celebrating San Antonio Heritage

San Antonio, TX, October 12, 2005 – General Motors Corporation unveiled the next iteration of its “Trucks for Texas” campaign, a 2005 Chevy Silverado crew cab, which has been transformed into a work of art by combining the designs of 26 very talented San Antonio area students. The collage reflects the San Antonio culture and landscape, through the eyes of young artists. The Chevy Silverado, the fifth vehicle to celebrate GM’s “Trucks for Texas ” campaign, was unveiled today at Burbank High School in San Antonio, with the students, teachers, and parents in attendance.

GM presented the unusual art project to the San Antonio Independent School District (SAISD) and gave them the freedom to use their talents and creativity to produce artwork that represented their city. Designs were received from 72 students from 6 different SAISD schools, ranging from 11 to 17 years of age. While talent was abundant, only 26 students made the final selection for the collage. The original artwork was submitted on 8 ½” x 11” or 11” x 14” size paper. The images were then magnified and superimposed across the entire body of the truck. Designs include cityscapes featuring the Riverwalk, the famous Alamo, Reunion Tower, the downtown library, city life such as “raspa” (snowcones) and cowboy boots and hats.

“The GM Trucks for Texas Campaign has been an exciting project that incorporates the talents of our San Antonio area young people and transforms the Chevrolet Pickup into a steel canvas, depicting the state’s culture, pride and creative expression, as seen through the eyes of local artists,” said Vicki Kidd, regional marketing manager for Chevrolet and regional diversity manager. “The toughness of this Chevy truck will also play a vital role in its next assignment with The Nature Conservancy of Texas.”

The truck, turned artwork on a steel canvas, will be exhibited at various San Antonio area Chevrolet dealerships and at local venues over the next six months, after which the truck will be donated to The Nature Conservancy of Texas for the Southern Edwards Plateau Project, which protects the Edwards Aquifer, the sole source of drinking water for San Antonio and the southern Hill Country.

“The Nature Conservancy is most grateful for the partnership with GM that began 11 years ago. GM has donated more than $19 million in cash and more than 175 vehicles, for a total amounting to more than $23 million,” reported Carter Smith, state director for the Conservancy’s Texas Program. “While that financial support is crucial to our work, certainly GM’s rugged vehicles are an essential tool for conservation.”

GM in Texas

For over 50 years, GM has produced more than 7.5 million cars and trucks in Texas, generating thousands of jobs for hardworking men and women across the state. GM’s “Trucks for Texas ” campaign continues its efforts to serve Texans across the state.