Jackson Free Press

Ashley Sullivan describes her first year teaching in 2011 like other first-year teachers: difficult. Forest Hill High School hired Sullivan to teach Art I, but she and some of her students were not satisfied with the school's meager art-class offerings. Sullivan says that when started at Forest Hill, the school only taught Art I and Art II classes.

During her third year at Forest Hill, which was last school year, things began to change for Sullivan, 30, and the school's art program.

"With the coming and going of different teachers, I kind of ended up in the position to be head art teacher," she says.

"From there, I just took it."

Now, as her fourth year approaches, Forest Hill will offer an Art III and an Advanced Placement Art class. During July, Sullivan spent a week training at Rice University in Houston, Texas, to receive her certification to teach AP Art in the fall.

The school now has an Art Club, as well.

"I had kids who wanted me to start (one)," she says. "They seemed really interested so I just went from there."

Around 25 students are regularly involved with the club. "We've toured the Belhaven art department," Sullivan says. "We go to museums, obviously the Mississippi Museum of Art, (but) we've also been to Ocean Springs to visit the Walter Anderson Museum."

The club also participated in the FIGMENT Jackson House Blend Design Competition last spring, where they won the People's Choice award. Sullivan says the Art Club will be involved in the FIGMENT Jackson arts festival in Midtown Oct. 18.

Sullivan, who graduated from Lambuth University in Jackson, Tenn., with a bachelor's degree in visual arts in 2007 and Belhaven University with a master's in education in 2012, says the improved art program at Forest Hill has helped the students who are involved.

"It's given them a place to fit in," she says. "... You have kids who do sports and other things, but art is something different that a lot of kids, especially my kids, have never really thought about as an outlet or had the opportunity to have (as) an outlet."

Not only has Sullivan and art helped Forest Hill students socially, but some students have also seen fast, positive results, including a student receiving an honorable mention in the Scholastic Art Competition this past year.

"It's something that he would not have ever thought of doing before," Sullivan says.

As the school year is about to start, Sullivan says she hopes she can keep the program's momentum going and further develop it, adding Art IV classes, as well as more AP classes.

"I don't think a lot of them have really had art or been taught about art and all the things you can do with art," Sullivan says. "It's kind of given those who didn't have a place before to find something that they like and works for them."