The Daily News

BOGALUSA - A local artist is lending his talents to Bogalusa High School students this year in hopes of reconnecting with the city's youth.

Alvin Carter, 64, is a well-known artist and long-time resident of Bogalusa who has been working alongside BHS art teacher Ginger Prator and her students in the gifted art class on a project in the school gymnasium.

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The preparation for the mural first began in December, though the idea for the artwork started shortly after Carter painted a logo of two axes and team name on the basketball court last fall. BCS Superintendent Jerry Payne liked what he saw and asked Carter if he could do a more in-depth project involving the students, Carter said. Principal Rodney Brown hopes the mural will be completed by the end of the school year and said it is about halfway finished.

Carter says his goal was to portray various students in different sports activities and academic subjects. Primarily the art students did the sketches of the students in various activities.

Carter and the students use a technique in which the color comes from the background and shows through the drawings. This technique helps to fade out the flesh tones of each person and allows the races of each person to disappear. The message Carter wants to send with this mural is one of equality. With this technique, art does what the laws of physics won't allow us to do in the real world, Carter said. In the mural both the vibrant color and the person appear to take up the same space at the same time. This was not only effective for not showing the skin color of the students, but to show the young people that art is not only what you take out of it, but what you put into it as well, Carter says.

Carter said the technique was used largely by painter Aaron Douglas. Hopefully, this mural will encourage future projects with other schools and students, he said, adding that he feels school art programs are being slowly taken away.

As an independent artist, Carter wanted to work with young people and show the students a different style. There were a few obstacles to overcome once Carter got into the classroom with the students. The challenge he spoke about in greater detail was how the students seemed intimidated at first by the large scale of the canvas. With a total canvas of eight feet by 32 feet, the size was much larger than sheets of drawing paper or canvas, which the students to which the students were accustomed.

Throughout the experience, Carter has tried to incorporate as much into the learning environment as possible. This is his first project with the students of Bogalusa High School, but it is clear that he does not want it to be the last. Carter said he enjoys working closely with the students and is inspired to see them work together to create something so massive that will bring beauty to the school. Since he tries to touch the youth of his hometown, he welcomes the students to come by his studio in town if they need someone to talk to or a shoulder to lean on.

It gives him comfort to know that he can appear as a father figure to some of the city's youth, especially in times of confusion and trouble, says Carter. Carter graduated from Central Memorial High School in 1961 when segregation was still in effect, so he takes pride in seeing where our high schools have come today, he said. Carter said that he is interested in becoming a resident artist for the parish and going to different schools and creating murals with each of their art departments.

He describes himself as a hands-on man with old-time values. He said that art begins with self and grows from what is available to you at the time. Carter said art does not always need to mean something.

"Don't question why the birds sing, just enjoy the song," he said.