Blue Sky over Dallas Academy

Our area has been blessed with blue skies, cool nights, 

warm days and no rain for the past week.

 From the courthouse parking lot,

 the dome at the Dallas Academy building 

stands brightly against the October sky. 

Dallas Academy was built around 1889 as a private school
 but later became Selma's first public school. It closed in the 1960s
and today is used for community offices.  

Linking to City Daily Photo Blogs and Skywatch Friday

Anticipation

So what is behind Door No. 13???

Children at a recent Selma Art Camp anticipate their next art project,

 making a 3-D sculpture from odds and ends

 with renowned folk artist Charlie Lucas. 

Linking to ABC Wednesday and City Daily Photo Blogs

Let's Play Dressup

"Rain, rain go away, 'cause the children want to play!"

Meanwhile, they will have to stay indoors and play Dressup!

Do you prefer the flower-and-lace sunhat, western hat, 

curly wig or black lace hat and shawl?

These hats were on hand for the Selma Art Camp kids in June.

 They dressed up and had their picture taken. The second art camp

 at the old Dallas Academy is this week. 

Linking to Our World Tuesday and City Daily Photo Blogs

X is for eXceptional

Mrs. Mary E. McVoy must have been an eXceptional teacher

 to have been honored with a plaque such as this! 

Anyone remember water fountains like this?

Linking to ABC Wednesday's X Week and City Daily Photo Blogs

Charlie's Artists

It's Art Camp Week at the old Dallas Academy, and campers get to create

 3-D works under the direction of famous folk artist Charlie Lucas.

 Using a variety of  trash and trinkets that vary from sections of garden hose, 

old wooden forks, beads, keys and wire, these young artists got out

 the glue guns and went to work. Campers rotated among art stations 

and also made jump ropes, painted ceramics, decorated old cigar boxes

 and had pictures made in costumes on Monday.  

Linking to Our World Tuesday and City Daily Photo Blogs

School's Out

School is out in Selma, and it's been out at Dallas Academy for a long, long time. But sculptures such as this one, placed above a water fountain, honor its teachers. Here, Mary McEvoy, who taught first grade there, is remembered. I believe the sculpture was moved here from another former school. Can anyone verify that?

Today, Dallas Academy, which became the town's first public school, is used for community organizations such as offices for the Boy Scouts. The city's Ceramic Arts program is located in the basement, and some of the upstairs classrooms are used during Art Camp during the summer.

Zacapa Fountain

How many Selmians ever heard of the Zacapa Fountain? I had not until I found this marker in front of the old Dallas Academy. The fountain no longer stands, but the site has pretty shrubbery, and the marker states that the fountain was dedicated to the people of Zacapa, Guatemala from the people of Selma back in 1970.

So what happened to the fountain, and is this Guatemala town our "sister city?"

Last of the Leaves

The sidewalk in front of the old Dallas Academy building turned red and gold this week. Leaves fell fast, and today's heavy rain and wind should finish the task.

Photography by Christine Weerts

Recycling with The Tin Man

Young artists at the City of Selma Art Camp this week are learning how to recycle scraps of anything and everything with Charlie "The Tin Man" Lucas.

They're making 3D sculptures of imaginary creatures from old jeans, tickets, wire, buttons, yarn, paint, string, beads, clothespins, plastic, spools and styrofoam.

The camp is under way at the city ceramics center in the old Dallas Academy. Some 50 children are enrolled, and more can take part in the second Art Camp July 13-17.

Arty

If you're looking for Arty, he's flown over to Dallas Academy from his original perch at the Carneal building.

The Arts Revive butterfly sculpture was moved once work began on the former auto service place, which will become the home of the arts organization.

The butterfly is one of dozens of sculptures that make up the Butterfly Project.

Dallas Academy

School started Thursday in Selma's city schools. Much too hot to be in school in my opinion, but that's another story. Here is Dallas Academy, Selma's first-ever public school, although it started as a private school back in 1888. There aren't any school children here today since it closed in the 1960s, but the kids you see out front were waiting for an arts class way back the beginning of the summer (hence, the green trees- they are very dry now!) The building is used today for arts and civic purposes, and a ceramics center is located in the basement, probably the coolest place in town!