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PHOTOS AND DIGITAL DESIGN DEMONSTRATE CREATIVITY AND PROMOTE CRITICAL THINKING, PROBLEM SOLVING
By Bob Fitch
For generations, students of all ages and abilities have proven themselves masters in the art of doodling. Others advance to painting, formal pencil sketches, pottery or sculpture. In the last several years, visual expression via photography and digital design are the fastest growing art classes at Harrisburg High School.
Level two photography and digital art classes have been added at HHS because so many students want to expand upon the lessons they learned at level one. Next year, a section of “advanced studio arts” will be added.
“A lot of learners take photography or digital arts because they think it looks fun or they’re getting their fine arts credit,” said instructor Randi Murphy. “But what they’re learning can serve them in anything they’re going to do in life. They learn creativity, critical thinking, problem-solving skills and a general sense of design.” Learning design and animation software programs can provide a base of knowledge for careers in digital illustration, graphic design or other areas. Photography is a usable and marketable skill in dozens of career paths, from real estate to fashion to agronomy.
Last spring, the level two photography class applied what they learned to the real world by shooting product photos at Harrisburg’s new bakery, Sugar Palace. “It was a win-win because she got great product photos and my kids got a real-life experience plus had fun photographing the yummy treats,” Murphy said. In-class labs touch on various genres of photography. One lab has students telling a story using photos of toys. Students experiment with shutter speeds and “painting” with light.
For some students, the digital arts class might put them at ease in the art world because software programs allow them to undo mistakes. Advancements in technology provides opportunity for photographers and graphic designers to work for employers anywhere in the country or world while continuing to live right here in South Dakota, she said.
Murphy earned a degree in graphic design and art from Southwest Minnesota State University. She worked in the graphic design field, then stayed home with her young children before starting a business painting murals. In 2016, she earned a master’s in teaching from University of Sioux Falls and then taught art at Harrisburg’s South Middle School for five years, where she started the digital art program. She moved to Harrisburg High School two years ago and started the digital art program.
Murphy’s husband, Mike, works at Luxury Auto Mall as a Mercedes technician. Their daughter, Caitlin, is a 2022 graduate of HHS and a now a sophomore at Augustana. Their son, Owen, is a senior at HHS.
