June 27 : Thank You, Spelman : Dr. Campbell Reflects on Seven Memorable Years

As her time as Spelman College’s 10th President comes to an end, Mary Schmidt Campbell, Ph.D., penned the thank you letter below to the community that helped make her seven years on campus so memorable.

Thank you, Spelman.

Growing up in Philadelphia, I always loved sitting on my front porch. So, it is no wonder that I immediately fell in love with the front porch of Reynolds Cottage, the president’s residence. Like sitting on the porch in West Philly, at Reynolds, I enjoyed a panoramic view of the comings and goings of my community.

Spelman. My community. My family. My home for the past seven years. Now retired, I recall watching from the front porch students, faculty and staff, some of the people who make Spelman so remarkable, and I give thanks.

I give thanks to the early mornings Dr. George and I breakfasted on the porch, watching students striding the campus, books in arms, on their way to class. We often remarked how purposefully they made their way across campus, carrying faith, hope, and determination, along with their books. In seven years, I learned that many students succeeded at Spelman despite insuperable barriers. I learned that families often make great sacrifices to send their talented students to Spelman.

Read Dr. Campbell's full thank you to the Spelman community on Spelman.edu .

The Spelman College Museum of Fine Art recently announced curator and arts professional Karen Comer Lowe as its inaugural Curator-in-Residence.

Lowe will begin this two-year appointment on July 16, 2022.

"I am excited to bring a talented curator and fierce advocate for the arts to the Spelman Museum. Karen’s dedication to Black artists and the cultural community of Atlanta make her a perfect fit for the only museum in the nation dedicated to art by and about women of the African diaspora," said Liz Andrews, executive director of the Spelman College Museum of Fine Art.

For more than 20 years, Lowe has worked in curatorial and education positions at museums, galleries and arts institutions. She has held positions at the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery, the Tubman Museum and the Whitney Museum of American Art.

As an art advisor, Lowe has worked with corporations, private schools, universities and private clients in the Southeast. In spring 2022, Lowe curated This Is America | The Unsettling Contradictions in American Identity, the first solo exhibition of works by Genevieve Gaignard at the Atlanta Contemporary. In addition, Lowe has lectured on art throughout the region and worked with notable artists including Hank Willis Thomas, Carrie Mae Weems, Radcliffe Bailey and Elizabeth Catlett on past projects. Her work has been featured in Artsy, Culture Type, Sugarcane Magazine, and was named "Best Curator" by Creative Loafing in the 2017 "Best of Atlanta" issue.

"Go at your own pace and never compare yourself to anyone. If we do, we could be unaware of our individual strengths and talents and the goals we want to complete."

This is just some of the advice Spelman College Class of 2022 Salutatorian Jaimie Crawford offers to future students, rooted in her own experience.

At Spelman, as a psychology major and management and organization minor, Crawford held several leadership and service positions – including Student Government Representative, member of the Alpha Lambda Honor Society and the National Society of Leadership and Success; representative and mentor of Ladybugs Mentoring Organization; tutor at the Westside Atlanta Charter School; and a UNCF Panda-Cares Scholar.

The Atlanta native has been hired as a strategic source analyst for The Home Depot, where she will study firsthand the meaning of work efficacy, positive work relationships, and job satisfaction.

"I was molded by Spelman to be ambitious, adaptable and self-aware," said Crawford.

To read more of Jaimie’s story, click here.