What started out as a high school art project has become a story covered online by CNN.

In February senior Brandi Marsch created an art installation, located in the caged area at the top of the third-floor stairwell, that focused on the plight of immigrants crossing the border between Mexico and the U.S.

When school district publicist Carrie Butler contacted CNN about the art project, the news organization decided to write an online story about it.

“It was surprising that they contacted me,” Marsch said. “I found out about it sixth period (Wednesday) and then I was on the phone with them during eighth.”

CNN ask Marsch about her inspiration and about the feedback she received about the project.

Marsch found inspiration in the new Baldwin student group Global Minds, which discusses world issues. She decided to do an art project focused on immigrants trying to come to America.

“I was also inspired by a TV show called Viceland and I watched a lot of documentaries about the issue before I started,” Marsch said.

The items included in the art installation all have different meanings.

“The flowers represent funerals, the barbed wire represents a wall, and the other objects portray the people who died,” Marsch said.

The CNN story can be found here. The Feb. 15 Purbalite story about Marsch’s art installation can be found here.