Spirit of Alabama: Photography Class Captures Black Belt Artists

The Black Belt is home of many artists and a University of Alabama photography class spent two weeks capturing some of the artists in this region.

UA photography Professor Chris Jordan said he has a passion for this region and thought it would serve as a wonderful classroom for his students.

“My students and I traveled throughout the Black Belt region photographing artists, taking their portraits and also conducting interviews of many of the artists,”Jordan said.

The students met with artists that specialized in quilting, basket weaving, painting, iron work and many other art forms.

Jordan said that this experience would not be possible without the Black Belt Treasures Cultural Arts Center.

“They provided background information also introduced us to all the artists and arranged all the logistics behind the scenes,”Jordan said.

Canon Solutions America noticed the project and the commercial companies program, Future Authors Program, provided all the tools the students needed for this project

Jordan said that once the students were ready to go on their voyage through the Black Belt, he let his students soak in the unique experience.

“As an educator, my job is to teach the students the skills, give them some strategies and then just let them go and let their own inherit wisdom carry through,”Jordan said.

What the students produced on the two week trip was featured at the University of Alabama Gallery on Greensboro avenue.

The student’s work was framed through the gallery and footage was shown that students collected on the trip.

Jordan is proud of the student’s accomplishments and looks forward to exploring the many other artists in the Black Belt in projects to come.