SU Professor Randell Henry to be inducted into Scotlandville HS Alumni Association's Hall of Fame.

Southern University's acclaimed art professor Randell Henry will receive a rare honor this week that he says surpasses the national recognition he has received as a professional artist.

On Saturday, August 15, he will be inducted into Scotlandville High School Alumni Association's Hall of Fame. There are only a select few who can claim to be in their high school alma mater's hall of fame, he said.

"This takes the cake," said Henry, associate professor of Visual Arts and curator of the Southern University Visual Arts Gallery.

Henry, a mid-term January 1976 Scotlandville grad, will be among the first 12 persons selected by the Scotlandville High School Alumni Association to go into the Hall of Fame. "This will be our inaugural event," said Alvin Douglas, chairman of the association's Hall of Fame selection committee.

The induction ceremony will be held at 7 p.m. at Drusilla Restaurant at 3494 Drusilla Lane. There will be a social hour beginning at 6 p.m.

Douglas said the 12-person selection committee looked for Scotlandville graduates who are leaders in various categories such as education, religion, politics, athletics and the arts.  "We found Mr. Henry to be very worthy in the arts category," Douglas said.

Henry smiled, saying his high school's hall of fame selection tops the honor he received recently when one of his paintings was cited by the New York Times chief art critic Roberta Smith as her favorite piece at the recently held New York art show, "60 Americans."

As great as that is, Henry said, "I never thought I would be in a hall of fame. This is more than lagniappe from Scotlandville." 

Henry said his decision to become an artist came long before he attended Scotlandville. But, it was at the north Baton Rouge school where people began to sit up and take notice of his art.

Henry said he has been driven all of his life to become a talented artist but "it never crossed my mind I'd be in a hall of fame because of it," he said, adding that he's honored and hopes to continue living his lifelong dream: "making art and inspiring others while doing it."

Scotlandville's induction ceremony, for Henry and the others, will be held at 7 p.m. at Drusilla Restaurant at 3494 Drusilla Lane.