For students who love art, the National Art Honor Society at Adair County High School is about more than making something look good.
It gives students a chance to create, compete, travel and see what opportunities exist beyond Adair County.
Art teacher and NAHS sponsor Cayce Davenport has sponsored the organization for 11 years, continuing a chapter that was already established at the school by previous art teachers.
Davenport said one of the biggest benefits of NAHS is that it gives students a place to continue doing what they love while also preparing for their futures.
“It is an honor society, so it looks good on, you know, college resumes,” Davenport said. “Especially for those kids who are going on to be art majors in college, that matters.”
Students must maintain a certain grade point average in their art classes to participate, giving them both the academic and artistic side of an honor society.
But for Davenport, the most rewarding part is what happens outside the classroom.
Field trips give students opportunities to experience art in places they might not otherwise visit.
One of the most anticipated trips each year is the St. James Art Fair in Louisville, an annual arts and crafts festival held in the city’s historic district.
The festival brings together artists working in a wide variety of fields, allowing students to see what an art career can look like in the real world.
“It’s the best opportunity I have to expose the kids to artists working currently in a wide variety of fields,” she said. “They get to meet with, talk to the artists, even purchase their art.”
For senior Makayla Rios, who has been involved in NAHS for all four years, St. James is also a favorite.
“The field trips that we go on,” Rios said when asked about a favorite part of NAHS. “St. James every year. It’s actually really fun.”
Rios said the trips are also a chance to spend time with friends while experiencing something new.
Davenport said getting students out of Columbia is an important part of what she does.
“A lot of times it’s a good day,” she said. “And I get them exposed to art in various career pathways and arts and whatnot.”
She said it can be difficult that students sometimes have to leave Columbia to find those experiences, but she believes the trips are worth it.
“It’s just really good opportunity for the kids to see what else is out there,” Davenport said.
NAHS students also have opportunities to compete and have their artwork recognized beyond the school.
Students compete in Scholastic regional competitions, which can advance to the national level. They also compete in the Kentucky Art Education Association’s regional competition in the spring, with high-scoring work advancing to the All-State competition in May.
Davenport also looks for other opportunities that allow her students to put their creativity to work.
This year, ACHS was one of 250 high schools in the nation selected for a contest through Crosley Radio. The school was gifted a record player, and students are designing and customizing it around the theme “Crate Culture,” inspired by the nostalgia of visiting record stores and flipping through crates of records.
For students interested in pursuing art after high school, those experiences can provide a better understanding of how art can become part of a career.
Rios said NAHS provides experience that goes beyond what students can learn in a classroom.
“You learn a lot about art because when she takes us on these field trips, you learn a lot more as you grow gradually through the years of being in art,” said Rios.
Addison Phillips, a senior also in the club said NAHS can help students discover career possibilities that may not be obvious in a small community.
“There’s not a lot of opportunities in Kentucky,” Phillips said. “So, like, when you’re in NAHS, you get a lot more experience to actually go out and learn about more jobs that have art in them.”
Davenport works to make sure students know those opportunities exist.
Another senior member, Tristyn Burton said Davenport is always willing to help students explore different areas of art and find places where their skills can be used.
“Mrs. Davenport will make sure that you know that there are places that are around here that will take you in for what you want to do and what you have a passion for,” Burton said.
Burton said Davenport’s determination is one of the reasons students continue pushing themselves.
“She doesn’t let you give up,” Burton said. “She’s very, very relentless on making sure that you do not give up.”
That encouragement also extends to students who may not consider themselves traditional artists.
Rios said students do not have to be great at drawing to find a place in NAHS.
“Everybody has different art forms that they’re more comfortable with,” Rios said. “Even if they can’t draw, there is always something for them.”
Davenport also makes sure students have opportunities to share their work outside of school. She takes student artwork to competitions and encourages them to continue improving, even when a project feels difficult.
Beyond competitions and field trips, NAHS also works with the community. Davenport said the organization is available for community service projects and has worked with the fiscal court’s office, tourism and 4-H on projects in the past.
For Davenport, those projects and experiences are part of a bigger goal: giving students opportunities to see where their creativity can take them.
Whether they are walking through the St. James Art Fair, competing at the state level, designing a record player or simply creating alongside their friends, NAHS students are learning that art can be more than a class.
It can be a way to find a career, meet new people, serve the community and discover a world that extends far beyond the walls of their classroom.
