By LAURA BROOKHART / Community Columnist

Longtime readers of this column will know of my interest and dedication to the Arts and other creative disciplines.

As I have visited the art classroom in every other Helena school, it seemed time to learn about what HHS offers its students.

“This is the first year we have offered 3-D Art,” Mrs. Margaret Blankenship told me, as she showed me around her classroom.

The students were animatedly gathered around a box containing doll heads and other random materials which will be used for their upcoming collage project.

“Our parents have been awesome to bring materials for all our projects,” she added.

Mrs. Blankenship was born in Lipscomb, Ala., and moved to Bessemer at an early age. She graduated from McAdory High in 2005 then pursued her love for Dance and Art at the University of Alabama, where she majored in Dance and Studio Art with a concentration in Digital Media and a minor in Art History.

“I followed my passion for art and entered the 5th year program at the University of Montevallo and received my Masters in Art Ed. in 2011,” she said. “My teaching career began at Pelham High School, then I moved to Helena High in 2014.”

In the HHS Media Center were student-created paper-mache sculptures depicting their interests in dance, sports, fishing, archery—even a “bookworm.”

Also on view were ceramic coil projects and animal sculptures—some realistic, some imaginary creatures with masked faces and fur and feathers bodies.

Coming up March 22 is HHS Art Night, a silent auction and co-event with Thespian Society members.

Note that the annual High School Student Art Show at the University of Montevallo will be on display beginning March 4.

The following HHS students of Mrs. Margaret Blankenship have been chosen for this exhibition. Joseph Alcala, Elizabeth Alderete, Drake Bessant, Erech Brown, Mari-Margaret Comer, Katie Coons, Drew Crenshaw, Alec Dollins, Ainsley Edmonds,Sara Grace El-Feraly, Taylor Goodwin, Maria Granados, Emily Gustafson, Jordan Ingram, Avery Mann, Toni Massy, Ashlynn Mays, Samuel Richardson, Angel Rivera,

Grace Romero, Angel Sarris,Sydney Scott, Jordan Sides, Julienne Smith, Julia Stith, Alex Vavra, Sidney Warren, Nick Williamson, Noah Yawn.