By. Em Acuña
Honors College first-year student Claire Curry has been working with Crop & Trade, a new local co-op that opened June 1, 2025, through advertising and photography for the past two semesters. Curry first joined Appalachian State University and the Honors College in the fall 2025 semester. She is pursuing a major in advertising and minor in graphic design. Last semester, Curry took her Honors College first-year seminar (HON 1515) Photography Journeying: Contemplative to Community-Engaged taught by Dr. Garrett McDowell. The course influenced Curry to become more passionate about photography, leading to her switch to a major in advertising.
When asked what her biggest takeaway from this course and community service was, Curry replied,
Community engagement is so important. It can be easy to stay on campus and get lost in your homework, but it is very important to travel beyond campus to see what is out there. I loved having the ability to actually talk to real people in a field I might want to get into.
Dr. McDowell shared that,
This experiential seminar utilizes photography as an avenue for the first semester journey and life journeying beyond. Students make photographs and use them to communicate effectively. We begin by critically exploring photography as a contemplative exercise, going inward, and through our own interiority, becoming grounded, balanced, and able to connect beyond. Finally, students utilize photography and the skills they learn to connect, collaborate, and be of service beyond themselves. Students are required to complete a community-engaged photographic storytelling project—utilizing photography to make a positive impact on the local or global community (beyond campus).
Curry further described the class as being centered around the ability to exercise “pure seeing” through photography. The goal was to be in the moment while capturing photos and various stories in day-to-day life. Students would then present their photos to the class and provide the story behind them. Throughout the semester, Curry got to work with learning the camera itself and then shooting self-portraits, classmate portraits, and developing a sense of space. For their final projects, students were expected to engage with a local business or an organization in Boone and complete a photographic project that had benefit beyond themselves in some way.
Photos above feature (left) Crop & Trade Co-Op sign (center) some refrigerated products inside the store (right) a view from inside the building. Photos by Claire Curry.
For her assignment, Curry partnered up with Crop & Trade Co-Op, a “one-stop shop offering everything & anything grown, created, or crafted locally. This worker-owned market brings fresh produce, home goods, handmade artisan crafts, and pantry staples directly to the consumer from the makers.” Curry was drawn to the new business initially by driving past its red door and bright yellow chicken mural on the outside of the building. She stated, “It was cute and colorful, which is exactly what I look for when I take photos. I love to tell stories with color.” That initial impression drew her inside, but once she learned about the co-op, she knew she wanted to help them out with advertising and photos in any way she could. Curry’s final project for the course includes photographs from Crop and Trade.
Photo features the mural and outside view of Crop & Trade Co-Op. Photo by Claire Curry.
Through the journey of completing her project, Curry worked closely with the co-op’s marketing director, who has since invited her to photograph his family's non-profit farm. The farm rescues animals from bad conditions and allows them to live a full, happy life on the farm. Curry is in the process of scheduling that as her next steps towards her future career and in community involvement through photography. She is excited to go out and capture photos of these animals.
The Honors College seeks to foster students’ holistic development and engagement beyond themselves, across disciplinary boundaries, and in collaboration with others. There are a multitude of opportunities to get involved that exist on and off-campus, all over the High Country. Visit the Instagram and Facebook pages for Crop & Trade Co-op to learn more about them.
Top photo features Honors College first-year student Claire Curry. Photo submitted.
