Photo, art departments under new leadership

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Art teacher Allison Lawson teaches her Art 1 class. She will fill in as photography teacher full-time next quarter. (SINO OULAD DAOUD/EYE OF THE TIGER)

NICK JOHNSON

Roseville High School held an interview for a teacher to replace current Art 1 teacher,  Allison Lawson last Tuesday. The committee came to decision for the new hire. (Eye of the Tiger is withholding the name of the new teacher until she is official hired by the district, which is slated to occur later this month.)

According to one of the members of the interview panel, VAPA Coordinator Joyce Henry, the candidate that the school selected should be a strong addition to the VAPA department.

“I think she is going to work well with students of all abilities – extremely artistic people and people just coming in and people who are struggling,” Henry said. “We are happy with our selection.”

The new teacher will occupy RM 101 when Lawson steps in as photography teacher at the start of the second quarter.

Since the departure of previous photography teacher Tammy Kaley, RHS has worked to find a more permanent photography teacher. The role was initially filled by interim photography teacher Art Banks while the school searched for a long-term replacement.

The school offered the photography position to Lawson, who is a freelance photographer in her spare time.

“Photography is my favorite. It’s the thing I am most passionate about,” Lawson said. “I work on it on my own and I get a little too enthusiastic, but it’s a good thing.”

Lawson specializes in outdoor sports and often takes action photos. Her personal photo gallery consists of people biking, rock climbing, and even tight rope walking.

According to Lawson, leaving her current art classes will be a downside to joining photography.

“I am super excited,” Lawson said. “I love my art students and am really sad to see them at a different capacity and not everyday.”

RHS Roseleaves adviser Dana Dooley sees photography’s new leadership as an opportunity to collaborate on classwork.

“I have high hopes that she and I could partner our programs together,” Dooley said. “So that potentially the work that photography class is doing could support the quality of photos that we could actually get into the yearbook.”