Students from Bryan Station High School have unveiled a tribute to the late Emmanuel “Manny” Caulk, which now hangs in the first-floor stairwell at the district’s John D. Price Administration Building. “This mural was big for StationArts,” said senior Avery Padgett, who spoke March 23 during a brief ceremony in the boardroom. “The inspiration of him brought us together through empathy, through art, and through opportunity as we expressed Mr. Caulk’s legacy through art.”

We remember Caulk, the former superintendent who died in December 2020, as a servant leader who always put students first. “Fayette County Public Schools is better for his leadership,” said school board member Amanda Ferguson, who was also on the board that hired Caulk in 2015. 

Christol Caulk, who attended the ceremony with children Sierra and Sidney Stewart, spoke of how her husband drew energy and joy from “his” students. “He believed in the dreams of others … and understood change only happens when a community comes together as a family,” she said. 

Staff in the district’s Gifted & Talented Department initiated the mural project, and art teacher Allison Davis guided the Bryan Station group for nearly two years through all the steps of completing a commissioned piece. Along with Avery, the young artists included Joshua Hocker, Dorothy Claire George, Ray Holland, Sean Gilbert, Ash Conley, and Morgan Shown. “It was cool to learn about the process of mural making and to reflect back on his life,” said Dorothy Claire, who also spoke in the boardroom.

Among other special guests were Fayette County Board of Education members Amy Green (vice chair) and Marilyn Clark joining Ferguson; former board members Melissa Bacon, Doug Barnett, Ray Daniels, Daryl Love, and Stephanie Spires; and former acting superintendent Marlene Helm. Superintendent Demetrus Liggins closed the program, saying, “It’s truly an honor to follow in (Caulk’s) footsteps and carry out the work he started.”  

Posted March 23, 2023