He Caught Me… (2025)
36x36” Acrylic on Canvas

Originally opened in 1957 as George Washington Carver High School, it served African American students during segregation before closing in 1973 due to declining enrollment. Over the years, the abandoned school has become the subject of numerous urban legends and tales of paranormal activity. Locals often refer to it as “Satan School,” and stories circulate about hauntings, mysterious lights, alters, sacrifices of livestock, and other eerie phenomena. Despite these tales, there is no documented evidence to support the claims of supernatural occurrences.

Inside the decaying halls, graffiti covers nearly every surface, with one such tag reading “He caught me,” fueling the building’s eerie reputation. The overgrown property has also become a prime habitat for wildlife, including the western ratsnake (Pantherophis obsoletus) and the barred owl (Strix varia), which nest in the surrounding trees and occasionally roost within the structure itself.

As a casual explorer who grew up in Shreveport, the Ellerbe Road School was the holy grail and held a high place on my totem of cool places to poke around in. When put on the spot at the @artport_shreveport sign in (all the “normal” places that a wildlife artist would pick were claimed), I wrote in the suggestion for this location and this composition immediately materialized into my head.