Alabama Heritage is pleased to announce its new graphic designer, Laura Buchanan McElroy. Get to know Laura with our Q&A.
Q: Tell our readers a little about yourself.
I’m a lifelong Alabamian, born and raised in Florence, AL on Wilson Lake. The Shoals are in my blood — the water, the hills, the music. My Grandfather, Henry C. Nichols, Sr. worked with the Corp of Engineers building Wilson Dam, and my father Henry C. Nichols Jr. was a career musician and high school Band Director in Florence. My mother, Shirley Nichols managed TVA’s Research Library for chemists and engineers for over 30 years and was very active in the Alabama Library System.
I received my BFA from Auburn University with a concentration in graphic design and a minor in Art History. I did graduate studies in London at The Royal College of Fine Arts, Kensington. My concentration was Graphic Design and British Art History. After college I worked in Corporate Marketing, Publishing, Advertising, and Fashion Retail Marketing (Parisian) in Birmingham and Tuscaloosa. I have done extensive publishing projects for the University of Alabama. Even though I’m an Auburn grad, I am proud to work with the U of A, and tell their stories. I was the Creative Director for Birmingham magazine and loved curating stunning photography and content that included central Alabama and beyond. I’ve had the chance to work with so many talented and creative writers, photographers, stylists, and chefs across the state and beyond.
My husband and I are parents of five, from the ages of 16 to 20 (with triplets are in the middle). We have four in college and they are all so different and entertaining. We reside in Birmingham and love to travel and see live music at one of our great Birmingham venues. I’m an artist, passionate gardener, floral designer, and history buff. I relish making Alabama look good, for all our struggles, we are an amazing state with fascinating stories to tell, and wonderful promise. I so look forward to working on Alabama Heritage. My art and history teachers would say this project is the perfect fit for me!
I received my BFA from Auburn University with a concentration in graphic design and a minor in Art History. I did graduate studies in London at The Royal College of Fine Arts, Kensington. My concentration was Graphic Design and British Art History. After college I worked in Corporate Marketing, Publishing, Advertising, and Fashion Retail Marketing (Parisian) in Birmingham and Tuscaloosa. I have done extensive publishing projects for the University of Alabama. Even though I’m an Auburn grad, I am proud to work with the U of A, and tell their stories. I was the Creative Director for Birmingham magazine and loved curating stunning photography and content that included central Alabama and beyond. I’ve had the chance to work with so many talented and creative writers, photographers, stylists, and chefs across the state and beyond.
My husband and I are parents of five, from the ages of 16 to 20 (with triplets are in the middle). We have four in college and they are all so different and entertaining. We reside in Birmingham and love to travel and see live music at one of our great Birmingham venues. I’m an artist, passionate gardener, floral designer, and history buff. I relish making Alabama look good, for all our struggles, we are an amazing state with fascinating stories to tell, and wonderful promise. I so look forward to working on Alabama Heritage. My art and history teachers would say this project is the perfect fit for me!
Q: How long have you been a graphic designer?
Thirty years, eek, how did that happen? I graduated in 1994 and have worked as a graphic designer/art director since.
Q: What is your favorite piece of Alabama History?
Oh this is a hard one, the Civil Rights struggle is painful but something to be proud of, and we are still working to rectify the past, but there is so much hope for what we can accomplish. We learn from our mistakes and telling our history in it’s entirety. Also, 1933, FDR and the establishment of the New Deal, which opened the door to progress in Alabama and transformed the economy with the creation of Tennessee Valley Authority, harnessing the Tennessee River, making agriculture more tenable in many areas, decreasing poverty, and bringing power to much of the state. It also made the beautiful lake that I grew up on.
Q: Where's your favorite place to visit in the state?
That is like picking a favorite color, which I can never do! The Forks of Cypress and Cypress Creek outside of Florence. Lexington, AL hills where my mother’s family lived and where many of my ancestors are buried. Our lakes all over the state are beautiful, Smith, Lake Martin, etc. The view of Wilson Lake from the backyard where I grew up. Sailing on that lake with my father is one of the sweetest spots. Our Gulf Coast is a gem, including the recently renovated Gulf State Park, that beach holds great memories of family trips as a child and fun trips now as an adult. The old Indian Trail across the street is fascinating and a beautiful place to walk and consider our place on this land. Historic Northport and Lake Tuscaloosa. Fairhope on Mobile Bay. Driving north on Hwy 157 in the Fall or Spring. I love driving down the mountain leaving Cullman and seeing that beautiful view of hills and farmland. The Mentone bluff. In Birmingham, the roof of the Elyton Hotel, at sunset. Ruffner Mountain and Sloss Furnaces. The Birmingham Museum of Art (which rivals any collection in the SouthEast), and of course “The loveliest village on the Plains”, my second home, Auburn.
Told you I couldn’t pick one!
Told you I couldn’t pick one!
What are you most looking forward to working with Alabama Heritage?
Learning and exploring the state I think I know, and finding I know so little. Working with this amazing staff. Doing visual justice to this rich content. Exploring fascinating archives, bringing these stories to life and most importantly meeting many more of my fellow Alabamians.