While my memories of middle school are few, I remember it as a time of
great change. It was in those formative years that I developed an interest in
writing and photography. I kept a journal and brought my little point-andshoot
camera everywhere. My grandfather, who shared my passion for photography,
invited me to join him at the local camera club. In that community (of which I was by far the youngest member), I joined photo contests and even had an image displayed in my local library. Seeing my work on that wall was a defining moment in my life when I realized that my art could be shared. To engage with the arts—whether as a creator or an appreciator—is to
embrace our collective humanity. Lee Ann Pomplas, arts engagement director
at the Phipps Center for the Arts in Hudson, Wisconsin, puts it this way: “Art
has always been a vehicle … for trying to either find solace or find understanding.”
With the recent addition of two galleries, Hudson’s arts identity
is stronger than ever. We explore each of the three g
