Newspaper Page Text
Spelman Spotlight
December 1981
Page 13
Faculty Focus: Jo Moore Stewart
Keeping Spelman’s Image Alive
By Kimberly Harding
Whenever there is an impor
tant event around Spelman
College’s campus, you will
almost always find Spelman’s
current Director of Publications
and Communications present at
the scene.
A woman who loves her
work, Ms. Jo Moore Stewart can
often be seen at campus - related
activities with pen and paper in
one hand, and in the other, her
35mm camera. Although her
written 'contract only employs
her as a writer and editor of
school publications, Ms. Moore
contributes her photography,
designs, and layout skills as well
because she enjoys exercising
her skills. “I just make it a part of
the total package that represents
me,” she says.
Ms. Stewart is employed under
the Office of Development. Her
department is kept busy presen
ting the Spelman image through
press releases, radio an
nouncements, publications of
Student Life Bulletins, catalogs
for the Office of Admissions, and
poster promotions for the
different educational
departments. “Our job is to
make the college look very good
and positive. It’s a part of our
public relations," she explains.
Born and raised in Ottumwa,
Iowa, Ms. Stewart says she has
been interested in photography
since age two, when she owned
an empty box camera.” I was
influenced by my grandfather,
Fielding S. Johnson, who was a
photographer by hobby. He
owned his own dark room, and
he had a good sense of camera
work. I remember his
photographing me when I was
two years old. I looked like
someone from “Our Gang."Still
another vehicle that led me
towards photography was the
beautiful photography in the
movie “Gone With The Wind.” I
have a vast collection on that
movie.”
During the ensuringyears,Ms.
Stewart’s interest in the visuals
grew. “I’ve always liked people
and pictures. I didn’t have any
technical training initially. I had
to pick that up in college. But, I
did have the ability to see things
a certain way, and that is
probably the important aspect of
photography.”
After receiving a degree in
photojournalism from the Un
iversity of Iowa, where she was
chief photographer for the
school newspaper, she became a
staff photographer for the
Mason City Globe Gazette in
Mason City, Iowa. The duration
of her employment with the
Globe was seven years in which
time her first book was publish
ed, entitled “The Camera’s
Choice: Children," a
photography guide for amateur
parent photographers. She ad
mits, “Since I was influenced by
photography indirectly at such
an early age, I've always enjoyed
pictures and children in com
bination.”
Ms. Stewart’s love for children
directed her towards free lance
photography for a children's
photography business for
another seven years. Inthattime,
another book was published
entitled “Child of Hope,” a
pictorial focus on a migrant
family whom Stewart had been
photographing for a year.
Leaving Mason City after es
tablishing 15 years residency, Ms.
Stewart moved to Des Moines,
where she managed to become
associated with Better Homes
and Gardens books and
magazines. "While I was on staff
with the book department, I was
craft editor. My job was to edit
crochet instructions, and I didn’t
even know how to crochet,” she
says. Shifting to a more fulfilling
area, Ms. Stewart became assis
tant editor of magazines and was
later promoted to associate
editor and cartoon editor.
Non-black Iowa offered little
social life for Ms. Stewart. Now,
she and her children - David, 16,
and Alyssa, 12, reside in east
Atlanta. “I was only editing and
writing at Better Homes and I
missed the photography. Leav
ing Iowa, I was not only looking
for better job opportunities, but
I was also looking for a place
where my children would have a
better social life, so I chose
Atlanta. That is why I like
Spelman. My job combines my
photography, editing, and
writing skills in one package, and
working for the Development
Office has also given me the
opportunity to meet some very
interesting people.”
The Spelman Messenger, a
quarterly publication whose
main readership is alumnae,
reflects Ms. Stewart’s talent.
Presiding as the magazine's staff
editor, she states, “I think you
want to keep a magazine exciting
and growing along with your
readership. This is what we
attempt to do.”
The month of November
marks the fourth year of Ms.
Stewart’s career at Spelman, and
she has seen many issues of the
Messenger leave the press. Of all
the magazines she has publish
ed, the “Celebration” issue is her
favorite. "I was particularly
pleased with the centennial
issue, because it was the biggest
undertaking! have had thus far,”
said Ms. Stewart. "It was not just
a matter of compiling materials
from the Centennial Celebration
(Spelman’s historical
book written by Beverly Guy-
Sheftall), but it entailed taking
the same material and repackag
ing it so that the magazine would
not replicate the book. I think
the “Celebration” issue is my
favorite, also, because it is the
best of the past as well as the
current, and hopefully, the ob
jective future. You can only do
the one - hundredth once. At
least, once in my lifetime.”
Other campus involvements
for Ms. Stewart have included
editing, selecting photos and
preparing layouts for the book
"Spelman’s Centennial Celebra
tion.” She also helped organize
the Centennial Room located
under Packard Hall, and she has
edited 40 tapes of Spelman’s
talking history for the "Sounds of
Spelman” Corner, She, along
with Mr. Christopher Reynolds
of the media department, also
produced a promotional film
focusing on Annie Alexander
(Spelman’s oldest living alumna)
and she has plans for a 2nd
century promotional film.
Ms. Stewart does not plan to
remain in the academic environ
ment. Her future goal is to open
a black toy museum. Ms. Stewart
feels that, “when you looked at
the toy market and the toys they
produce, particularly dolls,quite
frequently you feel shafted. We
(Blacks) are either characterized
improperly, or not dressed as
fancy as the white dolls. I would
like to see some changes in that
area. My mother was a doll
collector, I was a doll collector,
a v nd my daughter is now a doll
collector, and I thought, 'since
we lived in a museum, why not
open one?”
Ms. Jo Moore Stewart is a
warm, talented young woman
with a confident sense of self. For
students uncertain about their
career objectives, she suggests
that, as we talk about careers
here at Spelman, they under
stand it’s okay to change or
careers. At one time, I was going
into motion picture research
writing, and then I got interested
in photojournalism. It is impor
tant that you enjoy what you are
doing, and I certainly enjoy what
I’m doing here at Spelman.”
Compiling the Spelman Messenger’s “Celebration” issue, editing
tapes for the “Sounds of Spelman” corner, and selecting photos &
preparing layouts for the “Spelman Centennial Celebration” book
are some of Ms. Stewart’s proudest accomplishments.