Congratulations to Arts Department Co-Chair Trent Boysen and MS & HS Visual Arts Teacher Emily Holt on being selected for the Frist Art Museum’s upcoming exhibit, “Nashville Art Teachers: Beyond the Classroom.”
By Sierra Smith, Communications Specialist
Arts Department Co-Chair Trent Boysen and Middle and High School Visual Arts Teacher Emily Holt were selected for the Frist Art Museum’s upcoming exhibit, “Nashville Art Teachers: Beyond the Classroom,” which will be available for viewing Friday, March 4 through Sunday, August 28 in the Frist’s Conte Community Arts Gallery.
Boysen and Holt are among 33 K-12 art teachers throughout Davidson County selected for the exhibit said to salute “the heroic efforts of teachers during the challenging circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic,” according to the Frist website.
Boysen’s piece, entitled “Twin” combines new and old technology and is the result of his investigation into a way to bridge the digital world with a 19th century printing process. As a challenge to himself, Boysen opted against using a traditional camera and experimented with producing images using a digital scanner instead.
“Through a tremendous amount of trial and error, I found the right material and ink combination that would resist enough UV light to print via many antiquated printing processes. I chose to make platinum prints because of their inherent ability to render deep rich tones which was a perfect match for the dark floral imagery, and they seem, at least to me, like they are floating in an infinite blackness,” Boysen explained of his process. “I experimented with traditional papers made for the printing process, but ultimately chose velum for its veil-like quality which is a nice contrast to that perceived infinite blackness. It's mounted open to give the viewer easy access to that feeling.”
Holt describes “Shell Game,” her featured painting, as a reflection of the feelings of chaos, uncertainty, and being overwhelmed during the coronavirus pandemic.
“I think of my painting process as building and weaving with paint,” Holt shared. “I paint a series of layers that get scratched, sanded through, wiped out, and then repainted. As I deconstruct and rebuild the painting over and over again, I find animals, trees, houses, and other objects within the residual marks and render them until a world begins to take shape.”
Learn more about the “Nashville Art Teachers: Beyond the Classroom” exhibit and plan your trip to see Boysen’s and Holt’s works in person by visiting the Frist website here.
Middle School and High School Chinese Teacher Josephine Huang has been involved with USN as a volunteer, a parent, and a teacher. Now in her 20th year as a faculty member, Huang's innovative lessons and belief in relationships continue to instill in students a lifelong love of learning.
Director of Auxiliary Services Rebecca Stokes was given the Summer Programs and Auxiliary Revenue Collaborative’s award for her work including students in the selection of a new playground, transitioning the school bookstore, refining registration systems and processes for summer camps & enrichment activities, and expanding the school’s cultural and holiday celebrations to be inclusive of USN’s diverse student body.
University School of Nashville welcomes prospective families to tour the Edgehill Campus, speak with students, faculty, and administrators, and learn about our K-12 school's academic, athletic, and arts offerings. Sessions will take place at 9:30 a.m. for Middle & High Schools and 1 p.m. for Lower School. Let us know you are coming at usn.org/preview.
Winged Deer Park and trails in Johnson City hosted our 4th race on Sunday October 11th, and despite a bit of hurricane outwash winds and showers - and reduced team numbers due to fall break and distance from Nashville - our racers utilized all available skills and fitness aquired which helped “wing" Sophomore Claire Dehner to a 4th place podium spot, our first podium appearance and medal for the season.
Tiger golfers have officially qualified for the region tournament, and our other teams are not far behind. Volleyball sits near the top of the district, finishing up regular season play next week with Senior Night. Girls soccer continues to hold first place in the district after another 9-0 win, and our cross country runners are chasing after some school records. To round it all out, our mountain bike team traveled to Oakfield to continue to improve on their times for the season. There’s plenty more where that came from- so be sure to come out to the River Campus, Sperling Gym, or out on the road to cheer on our Tigers before their seasons end.
Middle School volleyball and tennis teams are nearing the final games of their seasons, with the competition heating up while the Tigers play to determine their HVAC rankings. Cross country was finally able to race at the River Campus despite the heat, and our mountain biking team traveled to Oakfield, Tennessee, for a high-temperature race weekend.
USN Mission: University School of Nashville models the best educational practices. In an environment that represents the cultural and ethnic composition of Metropolitan Nashville, USN fosters each student’s intellectual, artistic, and athletic potential, valuing and inspiring integrity, creative expression, a love of learning, and the pursuit of excellence.