About twenty years ago, FHS yearbook students were invited to a photography workshop at the University of Alabama. Andrew Goetz, a nationally-recognized photographer, taught the group how to place film in a canister, mix chemicals, develop film, and print photos. A program was born that brought students together as they became artists and art critics. Photographers had a body of work to show; they had ownership and pride in their work. The local library, the local bank, the elementary school – student displays went up.
Thanks to a grant through PACERS, the small closet between the science classrooms became a darkroom. Students would work late after school developing yearbook photos and entering contests. Mr. Johnny Harbuck made plans in the new fishery for a darkroom space and a classroom. We moved from the closet to the new space and continued our photography. We entered the Kiwanis County Fair, the Superintendent of Education Art Contest, and the Covington County Schools Art Contest.
Through the years, we have brought home numerous ribbons and awards including a first place and an honorable mention from the state-wide art contest, competing with larger schools and magnet schools focusing on the arts. The darkroom has been closed and all photography is now digital, but we continue to enter our photos in contests, and we, of course, win.
“I believe arts education in music, theater, dance, and the visual arts is one of the most creative ways we have to find the gold that is buried just beneath the surface. They (children) have an enthusiasm for life, a spark of creativity, and vivid imaginations that need training – training that prepares them to become confident young men and women.”
– Richard W. Riley, Former US Secretary of Education
Project Coordinator: Patricia Peoples
Community Chapter Volunteers: Gary & Lynne Jones
Leave a comment