Where Creativity Meets Collision Repair: Past Winners Reflect on Impact of Art Meets Automotive Competition

Written for the Collision Repair Education Foundation

Collision repair is often associated with precision measurements, repair procedures and technical expertise. But ask anyone who’s ever laid out a custom graphic, blended a flawless color match or transformed a damaged panel into something beautiful, and they’ll explain that restoring a vehicle is just as much an art form as it is a science.

That’s the idea behind the Collision Repair Education Foundation’s (CREF) Art Meets Automotive Competition. Each year, students and instructors are invited to showcase not only their technical skills but also their imaginations, creating one-of-a-kind works of art using the same materials and techniques they’ll rely on throughout their careers. What begins as a creative challenge often becomes something much bigger: a confidence boost, an industry conversation starter and, for some, the first step toward new career opportunities.

The competition’s steady growth since its debut in 2022 reflects just how enthusiastically the collision repair community has embraced that concept. What began as a student competition expanded in 2024 to include an Instructor Edition, as participation increases each year and industry support continues to grow, with Fuji Spray joining as a sponsor for the 2026 Art Meets Automotive Competition.

“Art Meets Automotive is about more than competition – it’s about creating opportunities for students and instructors to express their creativity, inspire one another and gain recognition for their skills,” says CREF Program and Events Manager Tiffany Bulak. “Every year, we’re amazed by the originality of the entries and the different stories behind them. It’s exciting to watch participants create something uniquely their own while showcasing the incredible talent that exists throughout collision repair education.”

Looking at past winners clearly indicates that various ways that one might find inspiration, but each winner’s journey also demonstrates an ability to translate technical skills into personal expression, using automotive materials and techniques to create artwork that is truly memorable.

The idea for Wendy Aguilar-Escamilla’s 2025 winning design came from an unexpected source: a news report. “I was listening to a news report about the Florida burrowing owl’s status and the threats to its natural habitats that have led to declining populations.” That spark of concern fueled her creativity as Aguilar-Escamilla designed her project, using materials available in her classroom to sculpt and paint Endangered Species, transforming a conservation message into an intricate work of art.

Teisha Chambers, the 2024 winner, drew inspiration from a much more personal journey. Early in her educational experience, she was told that women didn’t belong in collision repair and faced a lot of skepticism as the only woman in her technical program. “I received a lot of negative comments from my peers when I first decided to pursue a career in collision repair,” she recalls. “Thankfully, my teacher was incredibly supportive, and I also received financial support from CREF and the Women’s Industry Network which both awarded me scholarships.”

Reflecting on that experience, Chambers was driven to give back to the industry in a way that would recognize the adversity many women still face when pursuing a career in collision repair. Like Aguilar-Escamilla, she found her inspiration in nature, specifically in the symbolic movement of a koi fish swimming upstream. “Koi fish are known for swimming against the current, going opposite to where everything else is going,” Chambers observes. “To me, that represented going against the grain and pushing forward even when people are pushing back against you. That was my experience in collision repair – being told what I couldn’t do, dealing with negativity and still progressing.”

That symbolism was carried through every stage of her build, as she shaped Koi-Upstream into a layered piece of automotive art that she hopes will serve as a message of hope to other women entering the trade under similar pressures.

Though their stories differ, both artists ultimately arrived at the same realization. Through their participation in Art Meets Automotive, both artists discovered the same thing: collision repair provides an unexpected canvas for creativity.

Every aspect of Aguilar-Escamilla’s owl – from sculpting to painting – was created using automotive materials available in the classroom. Chambers describes her process much the same way, beginning with the same prep work used on any collision repair project before layering stencil work, airbrushing and hand painting until her vision came to life.

That same blend of technique and instinct is also reflected in the instructor category. Robert Lynch, winner of the inaugural Instructor Edition in 2024, says that’s exactly how many custom painters approach their work. Inspired by the geometric designs of 1970s customs and lowriders, he rarely begins with a rigid blueprint. “Many times, when I have tried to go into a paint job with a pre-planned design, it changed because it didn’t seem right for whatever panels or lines were provided.”

None of these winners entered the competition expecting to win, but that uncertainty is part of what makes their reactions so consistent.

“There are so many talented people in this industry that I truly didn’t expect to win,” Chambers recalls. “After I entered, I saw that CREF had featured my pin on social media, and I thought that was really cool, but I had no clue I’d won until several months later when my teacher told me! I was very excited and amazed that my work stood out among all the other entries. I was honestly surprised that I’d won, but I’m also very appreciative and grateful.”

“I was very proud of myself,” Aguilar-Escamilla weighs in. “I spent a lot of time creating the owl, so I was happy that so many people enjoyed my work!”

Lynch echoes that sentiment: “There are many talented instructors out there. I just enjoy creating the art and paint designs that come out of my head. It was a complete surprise to find out that my design won.”

What makes Art Meets Automotive stand out isn’t just the artwork – it’s what happens after the paint dries. For many participants, the competition becomes less about winning and more about visibility, confidence and connection to an industry that values both technical precision and creative thinking.

Aguilar-Escamilla found that visibility helped open the door to her first role in collision repair, where her award-winning design became part of her professional story during interviews. “Winning the competition certainly polished my resume! During my interview for a paint prep position, the supervisor asked about my Art Meets Automotive victory several times and was obviously impressed by it. I believe that played a role in the shop offering me the position. I worked there for a while, and although it was an amazing experience, I ultimately realized it wasn’t the right fit for me. Today, I’m working for a house painting company, but I’m grateful for the opportunities Art Meets Automotive helped create.”

Chambers used Koi-Upstream in a similar way, pairing her portfolio with certifications to demonstrate her capabilities as well as how she thinks as a technician and artist. Although she was initially hired as a detailer at a dealership, when a paint prep position opened up, her employer immediately thought of her. “The pin really demonstrated that I have the skills they were looking for,” she notes. “It’s one thing to claim you’re creative; it’s another thing entirely when you can demonstrate it with a winning design.”

That blend of creativity and capability is ultimately what Art Meets Automotive highlights. Whether inspired by conservation, personal resilience or custom paint traditions, each entry reinforces a simple idea: collision repair is not only about restoring vehicles… It’s about expressing skill through craft.

And for those considering entering in the future, past winners leave behind a consistent message: the value of the competition isn’t limited to one-time recognition; it opens up more possibilities than many imagine! A single project can become a conversation starter, a portfolio piece or even the first step into your collision career.

Registration for the 5^th Annual Art Meets Automotive Competition is open through October 1. Students and instructors are invited to showcase their collision skills and artistic prowess. Full entry details are available through the official student and instructor submission links.

At its core, Art Meets Automotive is more than a competition. It’s a reminder that collision repair doesn’t stop at restoration. It also creates space for expression, ingenuity and identity, and for many students, that realization is what turns a classroom project into a career path.

Industry members interested in getting involved and supporting the Collision Repair Education Foundation’s efforts to assist high school and college collision repair training programs can Contact Us to learn about the many ways to get involved. Monetary donations can be made online, or sign up for The Donation Exchange to easily provide in-kind resources that collision repair schools and students desperately need.

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The Collision Repair Education Foundation, founded in 1991, is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to supporting collision repair educational programs, schools and students to create qualified, entry-level employees and connect them with an array of career opportunities. For information on how to donate to programs supported by the Education Foundation, visit us online at: www.CollisionRepairEducationFoundation.org.

Follow us on social media on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube.If you would like more information about this topic or any of CREF’s initiatives, please email info@ed-foundation.org.