Houlton Pioneer Times Photo/Joseph CyrPHOTOGRAPHER HONORED — Amanda Fogarty, a senior at Houlton High School, was one of 20 students throughout Maine to have her photograph selected for the Maine Learning Technology Initiative laptop screen saver program for 2012-13.
By Joseph Cyr
Staff Writer
AUGUSTA – A Houlton High School senior is one of 20 student artists who will have an audience of more than 72,000 students and teachers for their artwork starting this fall.
Houlton senior Amanda Fogarty’s photograph entitled “Different Perspective” was one of 20 images by students from across Maine to be chosen for the Maine Learning Technology Initiative laptop screensaver for the 2012-13 school year.
Fogarty’s photograph depicts a purple daisy placed upside down in her grandmother’s garden.
“It was nice,” Fogarty said of having her photo selected. “I think my art teacher (Bonnie Tidd) was more excited. I didn’t realize how much of a big deal it was until after. The only bad thing is, I won’t get to see it on the laptops next year.”
More than 380 Maine students submitted images to be considered for the 2012-13 screensaver. Students and teachers voted on their favorites, and two of the 20 featured works were the top vote-getters. An independent panel of three judges selected the other 18 pieces.
Many of the images are photographs, though several students used pencil, paint, clay and other media to create their images.
“The arts are an essential part of the student experience in Maine. The arts offer students the opportunities they need to explore their passions, discover their talents and apply their creativity,” said Education Commissioner Stephen Bowen. “I’m thrilled that we can celebrate student artwork, and wed it with technology, in this way.”SELECTED WORK — This photograph, entitled “Different Perspective,” was taken by Houlton High School senior Amanda Fogarty. The photo was one of 20 selected for the state laptop program as a screensaver.
Taking photos is something that Fogarty has been doing for a while now. Her photos have been featured in the Houlton Pioneer Times’ annual Newspapers in Education supplement and she also has created her own photography business doing senior and family portraits and candids.
The Maine Learning Technology Initiative equips all Maine seventh- and eighth-grade students, more than half of the state’s high school students, and all middle- and high-school teachers and administrators with Apple laptops. The devices all come with a standard set of educational software and the screensaver of student artwork.
The winners’ artwork is available for viewing at: http://www.maine.gov/mlti/about/photos.shtml.