 "Photo: Samantha Steigmeyer")
As you walk down the long windowed hallway lined with jungle-like plants, a man’s loud voice echoes down the halls, carried by many smaller voices. On both sides of the large wooden doors leading into the classroom are glass windows filled with artwork. As the wooden doors open, a blast of what seems like a thousand voices are released.
Looking around the room, your eyes seem to wander from one thing to the next. Student artwork lines the far wall, showing the range of talent Harborcreek high school student’s display. One by one the students take their artwork and continue to work on them. The other three walls are covered in a variety of items from cards to shirts, etches and posters. Seated at the end of the U-shaped table is a man, he is wearing glasses, a plaid button up shirt and an apron. His long dark hair is pulled into a ponytail as he helps the student next to him with his drawing.
The students around him called him “Humes.” George Humes, an art teacher at Harborcreek High School, has been a fixture there for 30 years since graduating from Edinboro University in 1980, with an art degree.
“I love this job,” he said, “but I never sat around in high school dreaming of being a teacher.”
Humes decided to go to college at the last minute after he realized he wanted to put off working for a while.
Humes recalled an art teacher he had in high school.
“He was always active and always creating and making art,” he said. Although Humes never thought, “That’s what I want to do, I want to be a teacher,” he would occasionally think, “Man, this guy’s got a great job.”
That great job his high school teacher had is now his great job. Humes is glad he chose his career and is now teaching a lot of second-generation students. Although he has had some teachers that have inspired and helped him develop into the artist and teacher he is today, he is mostly self taught.
“I’ve been drawing since I’ve been a wee little kid,” he said. Humes was in about fifth grade when his parents saved up money they truly didn’t have to spare, and sent him to a framing studio to take a six week, six session art class.
“It was a really awesome and unselfish thing for my parents to do for me at the time, but that kind of inspired me, too,” he said.
Since Humes grew up in Pittsburgh, he became a fan of all Pittsburgh sports teams: the Steelers, Pirates and Penguins.
During his career as an artist, he has done many player and team illustrations which have been published in several sports magazines. Through his art work and connections with the Pittsburgh Steelers, he said he had the delight of meeting many players and doing drawings for them which they autographed.
Humes is also known for his Steelers mural painted on the building of what used to be Edinboro Auto. After moving to Edinboro, Humes became close friends with the owner of the auto shop. Throughout their friendship, favors were exchanged in the form of autographed Steelers drawings for car work on Humes’ vehicle.
“His office was all Steelered out in black and yellow,” Humes said. “He even had a Steelers tow truck.”
That’s when Humes asked his friend if he could paint a mural on the building. With no money being exchanged, Humes had the luxury of taking his time.
“We decided to use the Steelers’ ‘70s team,” Humes said. Since the painting would take a few years, there was no sense using players that would be on a different team in two or three years.
After four summers of work the painting was finished. Humes enjoyed working on the painting although he recalled a number of times when Browns fans would drive by and yell ‘You suck’ while he was working. Humes, being the light-hearted person he is, found it funny.
Conversation has been exchanged about painting the other sides of the building with two other Steelers Super Bowl teams. No definite plan has been made.
While Humes has definitely shown his talent with sports illustrations, he is most proud of his Indian head portraits. His love for Indian culture has influenced his painting of traditional and contemporary Indian scenes.
“He loves his Indians and has an awesome braid,” said Lauren Stoczynski, an art student.
His fame as an artist is outstanding, but his success as a teacher is unforgettable. While some may say his teaching techniques aren’t traditional, they are effective.
His “enthusiasm and encouragement about everyone’s artwork” is why Maddie Beaumont feels Humes is a great teacher.
Ryan Johnson, a third-year art student said, “My favorite thing about his class is his stories. He’s a great story-teller, he just paints a picture.”
Currently, Johnson is completing a drawing of his grandparents.
Humes friendship and interaction with his students, rather than standing at the board teaching all day, inspires them to impress Humes with their artwork.
“Mr. Humes never gets upset. He has rules that are obeyed because he is respected, so kids can always have a good time. He is a man of great integrity and character,” said Cameron Folga, a third year student of Humes. “He’s not only the best artist in Erie, but also one of the greatest people you are likely to meet. He is always willing to give people his time to help, or even just talk or joke. I wouldn’t be the person I am today without Mr. George Humes.”
Emmett Rennie, another art student said, “He made me push myself to do new things I never thought I could do. He is the nicest, most generous man I know.”
While everyone is not as lucky as Humes to have a career that involves their passion and the ability to spread that joy to others, he shares his gifts with his students. And they respond by developing their gift to share with him.
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