68 Martha G. Smart was an avid artist throughout her life. Born in 1929 at the cusp of the Great Depression, she explored many artistic mediums growing up, and her dream when she was young was to become a scientific illustrator. She ended up choosing a different scientific career as a medical technologist after graduating with a Bachelor of Science in chemistry from Georgia State Woman’s College — now Â鶹Éç — in 1949. After earning a Master of Education from Valdosta State in 1973, she taught biology to Valdosta High School students for many years. But she always held on to her love of art, especially pottery, and she continued to create artwork until her death in 2016 at the age of 87. A Lifetime of Creative Excellence and Helping Students Succeed MARTHA G. SMART’S LEGACY LIVES ON THROUGH Â鶹Éç SCHOLARSHIP AND STUDENT ART GALLERY WRITTEN BY JOHN STEPHEN PHOTOS BY PAUL LEAVY