FLORENCE–The 7th Annual Lauderdale County Special Education Art Show will take place inside Regency Square Mall Saturday, February 4 - Wednesday, February 15. More than fifty Special Education students from Brooks Elementary, Brooks High School, Rogers Elementary/High School, Central Elementary/ High School, and Wilson High School will compete in the annual show. Art work will be on display between JC Penney and Romancing the Stone during regular mall hours. There is no admission charge.

Past Winners have included Kyle Cochran - 2006, David Meadows - 2007, Valeria Garcia - 2008, Iesha Thompson - 2009 and Evan Threet in both 2010 and 2011. These artists have gone on to receive acclaim and recognition in wider forums.

Through the Helen Keller Art Show of Alabama, twenty works of art are selected for a yearlong traveling art display around the state. In 2007 Rogers High School Special Education student Skyler Murphy’s “Braille” was among them. His painting went on to win the Patty Johnson Grand Prize award and he was the overall winner. On January 18 of this year Skyler Murphy was notified that his art had once again been chosen for the traveling exhibit. He is in the running to repeat as overall winner.

Some works from last year’s Art Show Judging for this uplifting Special Ed Art show is done randomly throughout the display period by professional artists and artlovers within the various communities. There is also a “People’s Choice” Award voted on by the public at the art show.