Pope John Paul II Catholic High School

The Visual Arts Department at Pope John Paul II Catholic High School strives to inspire imagination and creativity in a God-centered atmosphere.  The art classes offered continually challenge students and help them develop their interests, while preparing them academically should they choose to pursue the Visual Arts after high school.

Students at Pope John Paul II Catholic High School are introduced to different mediums, styles, processes and genres through four art course: Art I, Art II, Art III and Art IV.  Basic vocabulary as well as the elements and principles of design are studied.  Once the foundation has been laid, students will deepen their knowledge and develop understanding while learning new techniques and skills.  Students will encounter a broad range of art media for both two-dimensional and three-dimensional self-expression.

Barbara Laughbaum

Barbara Laughbaum is a professional artist and her portraits and original artwork hang in homes throughout the U. S.  She taught private art lessons to students from ages 12-60 in her Monte Sano studio for four years, and was an art teacher of approximately 1300 students at Monrovia Elementary.  She has also participated in numerous exhibitions and art shows, including the Monte Sano Art Show, Panoply and the Sidewalk Arts Stroll in Huntsville.  She attended the art program at Miami University in Oxford, OH, and earned her B. A. and teaching certification at Athens State University.  Laughbaum is honored to be a part of Pope John Paul II Catholic High School's outstanding Visual Arts program and plans to continue the tradition of high quality work from its students.

Payge Semmes

Payge Semmes is a native of Charleston, SC.  She attended the University of Georgia, where she studied art and art history in Cortona, Italy for a semester.  Upon her graduation from UGA, she acquired a Bachelor of Arts in Interior Design.  She relocated to Madison, AL in 1998 and worked for an architectural firm for several years.  After starting a family, she continued her study of art by attending art workshops around the country, emphasizing her love of oils, pastels, watercolors in landscapes and portraiture.  She has been teaching art to children and adults in her home studio over the past ten years, producing commissioned art and conducting art camps during the summers in Charleston, SC and Madison, AL.  Payge and her husband, Ed, and three children are members of St. John the Baptist Catholic Church.  Semmes currently teaches Art I at Pope John Paul II Catholic High School and is the sponsor for the Art Club.