Hadley K Conner, Chair of Brush High School’s Art Department, is unforgettable. You may have seen her showing her photography work in galleries around the area, performing on the stage at music venues throughout Ohio, or cruising around town in her 1964 Galaxie 500 XL.

Employed by the South Euclid-Lyndhurst School District since 2001, Ms. Conner teaches Photo 1 & 2 and AP Photo, but in her estimation, she’s really teaching the closest thing to actual magic. “Analog Photography is important because it teaches the science, the craft, and the magic of the photographic process. There is a general movement to go back to making things by hand, and working in the lab and darkroom is an experience. As each successive generation is more and more engaged in electronic devices, a creative classroom that leaves digital technology behind is an important and rewarding break from screen time.”

Although digital photography is the common practice these days, and while Ms. Conner does incorporate it into her program, she feels analog photography is such an important foundation that she has been known to drive out of state to obtain donations for the Brush darkroom. As a result of her efforts, Brush has an impressive darkroom and one of the only large color print processors in the area. Since the majority of the equipment has been donated, the program has been developed and maintained at an extremely low cost to the district.

Ms. Conner’s passion for photography and the arts has made a significant impact on Brush students. The number of students requesting to take classes in art and photography continues to increase each year. Brush has a strong performance at the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards each year, with 15- 30 students on average winning regional, and sometimes national awards for their art. As a testimony to the effectiveness of the program, Ms. Conner remarked that between 10 and 15 students in an average senior class at Brush go on to pursue art degrees in college.

In addition to teaching and managing the Art Department at Brush, Ms. Conner is a well-known and award-winning working artist. With a BFA from the Cleveland Institute of Art, and a Master’s degree from the Art Academy of Cincinnati, Ms. Conner shows her photography throughout the region and is on the Advisory Board for the Cleveland Print Room, a gallery and community darkroom focusing on analog photography. Ms. Conner teaches a variety of photography workshops at the Print Room and enjoys staying engaged in Cleveland’s vibrant art scene.

Along with her photography, Ms. Conner is the lead singer for 45 Spider, a band that includes her husband. Playing regularly at music venues throughout the region, Ms. Conner enjoys the collaborative process of performing with a band and finds that there is a tight connection between the art and music scene in Cleveland. Performing in 45 Spider, “is a lot like teaching in the sense that you’re delivering a message and the audience reaction often determines your next move and the outcome of the show (or lesson) “

Ms. Conner loves teaching in the district and says that the students’ enthusiasm for art keeps her motivated. “Brush is a microcosm of the world. Our students are cosmopolitan. They’ve been exposed to art and culture, likely due to the school district’s proximity to Cleveland’s many cultural amenities”. According to Ms. Conner, this appreciation for the arts has led to a vibrant arts scene at Brush and a commitment to the arts among students. Ms. Conner looks forward to continuing to foster and nurture the creativity of Brush students for many years to come.