Muscogee County School Board decides name of Columbus arts school

The name of the arts school in Columbus will honor two women whose work became world-famous and made their hometown proud: blues singer Ma Rainey and author Carson McCullers.

It will be called the Rainey-McCullers School of the Arts.

In a 5-4 vote Tuesday night, the Muscogee County School Board approved the alternative proposal from District 6 representative Mark Cantrell after voting down in 4-5 split the recommendation from District 1 representative Pat Hugley Green, who brought the board the suggested name from a committee: “Midtown Columbus School of the Arts.”

Voting for Rainey-McCullers School of the Arts were Cantrell, John Thomas of District 2, Vanessa Jackson of District 3, Cathy Williams of District 7 and Frank Myers of District 8.

Voting for “Midtown Columbus School of the Arts” were Green, county-wide representative Kia Chambers, Naomi Buckner of District 4 and Laurie McRae of District 5.

McRae was the only board member who explained her vote during the meeting. She said most of the people who expressed their opinion to her were against naming the school after a person and Rainey-McCullers wouldn’t have been at the top of their list.

Board policy gave District 1 representative Pat Hugley Green the right to recommend the school’s name because it is being constructed in her district. Green made her recommendation during the board’s December meeting. Board policy requires the members to wait one month before voting on the recommendation so citizens have time to express their opinion.

Green has said the advisory committee of local arts supporters she appointed contends Columbus is connected to so many renowned artists, it wouldn’t be fair to single out anybody. Instead, she has said, many can be honored inside the facility.

In the Ledger-Enquirer’s weeklong online poll, 78 percent of the 467 respondents said the board should vote against the recommended name and 73 percent of 475 respondents said the board instead should name the school after a person/people.

Ron Anderson, the Springer Theatre Academy director who died last year, was the most popular suggestion. Some combination of Rainey and McCullers was the second-most popular.

During last week’s work session, Cantrell explained his proposal He said folks visiting Columbus will ask, “Who is Rainey-McCullers? Then you have a story to tell.”

Rainey (1886-1939) was known as the “Mother of the Blues” and was born and buried in Columbus. She was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Georgia Music Hall of Fame. The U.S. Postal Service issued a stamp in her honor.

McCullers (1917-1967), a Columbus native, wrote five novels, including her bestselling debut, “The Heart is a Lonely Hunter,” as well as two plays and 20 short stories. Her work is considered classically Southern Gothic, and her writing continues to be taught in classrooms as one of America’s critically acclaimed authors.

Their former homes in Columbus have been turned into facilities honoring their legacies and attracting visitors: the Ma Rainey House and Blues Museum, 805 Fifth Ave., and the Carson McCullers Center for Writers and Musicians, 1519 Stark Ave.

“They’re the only two (artists) in Columbus that have homes here for our children to see,” Cantrell said. “… That’s why honoring somebody from Columbus, Georgia, is very important for the students to look up and say, ‘My gosh. These people became world famous, and they’re from Columbus.’”

Cantrell’s original proposal was “Rainey-McCullers Arts Academy,” and that’s the motion the board initially approved. Superintendent David Lewis, however, asked for the name to include “School of the Arts” instead of “Arts Academy” because, he said, a “School of the Arts” denotes that it includes a full complement of academics, as this school will when it opens in August.

This story was originally published January 17, 2017 at 8:19 PM with the headline "Muscogee County School Board decides name of Columbus arts school."