College and Career Readiness

College/Career Readiness: Kentucky's Real 2012 Olympics is the theme for the 76th annual Kentucky School Boards Association Conference scheduled for February 3rd - 5th, 2012 at the Galt House East in Louisville, KY.  Banners from each school district in Kentucky serve as a critical contribution to the conference because they reiterate schools' focus of learning and learners.  I had the honor of designing Hopkins County School District's banner this year.

The following image is my interpretation of this year's theme:

College 

Society provides students an image of college where alcohol overflows every cup, girls wear very little, and naps supersede attending class.  The actual facts are students sleep very little, eat to much, and work harder then they ever thought possible.  John Belushi represented society's take on college in the cult classic Animal House, however,  Draper Hall on Berea College's campus rises from the background of my painting to represent the real reason we send students to college - an education.  (In  2009 the Center for College Affordability and Productivity Staff ranked Berea College as America's best college buy)

Career 

Coal industries are not the only career paths a student forgoing college may take, but many students at my school list mining as a viable option.  The coal miner in the bottom left represents this popular job choice for my community.  A color coded ranking system exist with miners and their helmets where white represents the highest rank one may possess.  My miner is wearing a white helmet because he is an educated, skilled veteran of the mining industry.  I pray blessings of safety and longevity upon every HCCHS student who graduates with intentions of working in the coal mines.  I ask that you do the same. 

Kentucky's Real 2012 Olympics 

The silhouette of our amazing bluegrass state sits calmly behind the Olympic rings while the conference theme floats above.  You may believe the word Olympics missing from the slogan is an error, but it is an omission.  Many times a single image, icon, or symbol tells our brain everything it needs to know.  Some may say a form of newspeak from George Orwell's 1984 is coming true with the use of symbols rather than words.  I would like to believe we are immersed in art and design so much we no longer need words to read and comprehend.  As a method of exploring my theory I omitted Olympics from the slogan.  Am I correct?  Are you able to read and comprehend my masthead?

Would you like to take a "reading comprehension" test?

Make a video of your own at Animoto.

How did you do?

*Nike, Apple, Facebook, Twitter, Mercedes, Jordan, Starbucks, Chevrolet, Target, Pepsi, Adidas, CBS