Three Hudson PEP Elementary students got the surprise of a lifetime when their artwork was unveiled Monday — not in a gallery, but on the side of two full-size City of Longview sanitation trucks.
As winners of the Keep Longview Beautiful Art Truck Contest, third-graders Olivia Liu and Allie Huntsinger and fifth-grader Lucy Tubb had their original designs professionally wrapped on city vehicles. The trucks rolled onto campus for a surprise reveal in front of classmates, staff, and families.
The students had no idea what was coming.
Teachers and administrators kept the news under wraps for weeks, working with Keep Longview Beautiful and city departments to coordinate the special moment. The covered trucks pulled up to Hudson PEP for the big countdown. As the curtains dropped, cheers erupted across the crowd.
“It was such a joyful and inspiring moment for our campus,” said Hudson PEP teacher Claire Holdridge. “You could feel how proud everyone was—not just the winners, but their classmates too. It was truly special.”
The wrapped trucks will now travel daily city routes, turning essential services into rolling canvases that showcase student creativity to the entire community.
Keep Longview Beautiful Executive Director Zach Korthals said the contest aims to celebrate student voices in a unique and public way.
“These students poured their hearts into their artwork, and we’re so excited that the public will get to enjoy their vision every single day,” Korthals said. “This project brings art to life in the most unexpected and wonderful way.”
What began as an art contest became a celebration of talent, collaboration, and community spirit — and a lasting tribute to the creativity of Longview’s youngest artists.
