THE BATTLE IS WON!

On Friday, January 20, 2017 I viewed the  "Central Bear Through The Years" displays at Central (yep, "displays," one in the hall by the media center, the other hanging in the gymnasium). 

I wish I could say I felt proud to finally see my public credit and acknowledgement, but after the battle I fought, the resistance I met, to simply get the EVSC and Central to simply just admit the bear they used for all these years was my artwork, the actual feeling I have is that of vindication.

My mother accompanied me to the school, and when we both entered the school I noticed immediately that the "Welcome to Central" banner, which had been hanging there at the beginning of the school year -- The banner which featured my drawing -- had since been removed.

I noticed online and such that school sites, social network pages, and other places that used my bear drawing have replaced it since I brought up my battle again this past year. As you will see in my photos of my trip, they weren't able to remove all traces (not counting the displays, natch).

When I spoke with the secretary, there was apparently no word given to the lady that I was coming to view the display. Paul Neidig and Pamela Hight did show up on time, however.

Mr. Neidig was cordial enough, but Ms. Hight was more obviously cold and short on words towards me or my mother. No surprise, there, as she was perhaps the most persistent at denying me credit st the August meeting I had with the EVSC over my art. Hight was almost ecstatic at the conclusion of that meeting when she thought I was going to accept their offer to credit me for a recreation of my older drawing. I'm sure it unnerved her when I ended up rejected that solution and continued my fight for crediting me for the actual artwork in question.

They arrived and took me to see the displays before Principal Andrea Campbell arrived. I asked Mr. Neidig if he would like to pose with me in front of the display, knowing he would almost certainly decline. Decline, he did, but offered to take my picture. I agreed.

Mr. Neidig did allow me to take pictures in the gym, and then he and Ms. Hight accompanied my mother and me back to the school offices, where he parted minutes after Principal Campbell showed up. She was nice and pleasant, in sharp contrast to Ms. Hight, who was still being distant. It was clear she really hated having to concede to me. Not that Neidig was much happier, but Hight wasn't doing much to mask her resentment at having to bow to pressure and give me my rightful credit.

I am sure Ms. Hight was also not too terribly thrilled that I spotted a fabric computer cover on a secretary's desk that sported my image of the Central bear. I asked Principal Campbell if I could taker a picture, and she cheerfully said, "why not?" Ms. Hight did not look so approvingly. Tough for her. She had sought to downplay how much the school been using my image over the years, after all.

So, it appears that except for a few stray examples, and now the displays, my drawing of the bear will be retired. I did not receive any official word on that, but it's pretty obvious. That's fine. I mentioned before that this ordeal to get the school and the EVSC to recognize me for my artwork has robbed me of any pride for the work.

I noted to both Mr. Neidig and Ms. Hight how interesting that Jon Sia, a famously North alumni and former North teacher was the co-creator of the new image of the bear commissioned in 2016. Ms. Hight seemed to bristle at my insinuation, noting the other contributor to the art, Scott Wannemuehler (creative director at Acclaim Graphics) was a former Central student.

Still, a North guy designed the new bear logo. Particularly interesting, as I brought up Jon Siau at the August EVSC meeting, noting how North has always been proud of him, and how sad that my own school and the EVSC was fighting to even credit me for my work and contribution.

So, even though the school seems to be retiring my artwork during the 30th anniversary of my having drawn it, it was used longer than any other image of the bear to represent Evansville's Central High School. I noticed that I am the only artist credited on the display who was still a student when the artwork was drawn. The other instances being professional graphic artists or a teacher who were commissioned for their work.

Excuse the length of this post, but this is obviously one of the final posts where I will have to discuss the matter, now that it has been resolved.

Let me finish this post by giving a huge, sincere, heartfelt THANK YOU to every single friend, family member, former classmate, and concerned individual who showed me support on this cause. I know I said it more than once, but I can't stress enough how much it has meant and how very appreciative I am that so many of you stood with me. 

Thank you.