Take a walk through the USN Arts Department
by Bo Daniel Parr, USNA board member
This spotlight on Arts Department Co-Chair Trent Boysen is Part I in a three-part series on USNA’ s Tiger Arts Program known as TAP.
Strolling through Artclectic this year, I found myself in the Tibbott Gallery, enjoying the student art, brilliantly displayed for the first time in conjunction with the successful fundraiser and art show. The student art show was rich- presenting a multitude of mediums and emotions. There was photography, collage, painting, and sculpture, from risky and raw, to whacky and whimsical. Budding artists and practiced artists were represented in a way that sparked curiosity about what is going on in the Art Wing. So, I recently sat down with Trent Boysen, head of visual arts and co-chair of the Arts Department, to discuss Visual Arts at USN.
Bo: Tell me about the Arts Department at USN.
Trent: We have an outstanding department comprised of visual arts and performing arts. I chair the Visual Arts Department and Bakari King chairs the Performing Arts Department. Our mission is to help students access their most creative selves. The experience of making art is as important as the final product, and risk-taking is encouraged and expected. We strive to facilitate informed critical thinking as well as to help students tap into their own intuitive process.
Bo: What visual art opportunities are there for students at USN?
Trent: After the foundational coursework in 2D and 3D art is completed, students have a wide variety of options such as: drawing, painting, photography in digital and film formats, ceramics, kiln formed glass, digital art, woodturning, puppetry, and filmmaking- just to name a few.
Bo: You have worked here for 21 years, and have seen the Arts Department grow from a modular trailer in the back of the parking lot to a well-appointed multiuse facility. What keeps you coming back?
Trent: For me, it’s the level of commitment from the kids. The teachers and the administrative staff are all committed to our mission which creates the space for a lot of magic to happen, but at the end of the day, it’s the kids who motivate me to keep pushing and getting better as an educator. Seeing the kids take risks, then reap the rewards from taking those risks, is a real gift, and I feel lucky to be a part of it.
The Arts are alive and vibrant at USN. Take a stroll through one of the galleries next time you find yourself at school for a visit. You will not be disappointed.
Stay Tuned. Next month, we visit with Bakari King, chair of the Performing Arts Department.
School News
List of 3 news stories.
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USN Evening Classes offers mahjong for parents, Middle Schoolers
Students in grades 5-8 and their families can take USN Evening Class 702: Mah and Pah Jong and Me to learn to play a board game together while benefiting USN's need-based scholarship endowment.Read More -
Travel grant takes naturalist to Galápagos Islands
Read MoreThe Helen Meador Summer International Fellowship funded a summer of professional development in South America for Lower School Naturalist Carrie Riley. Through this profound experience, she said she plans to bring these lessons into her teaching, grounding her voice in wonder, joy, and a commitment to protecting the natural world, which she loves. -
Vissepó’s 'Fantastical Views' creates space to connect
The impact of USN’s Art Department is not confined to art studios in the Christine Slayden Tibbott Center. Students often engage with art in ways that transcend traditional classroom learning, such as at the opening reception for artist Yanira Vissepó's “Fantastical Views.”Read More
Athletics News
List of 3 news stories.
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HS athletics recaps for September 11-17
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.Read More -
MS athletics recaps for September 11-17
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.Read More -
MTB Race #2 Report - Rockabilly Ridge Trails, Oakfield, TN
The MTB team returned to the the twisty trails of tranquil Oakfield, TN on Sept 13th to take part in the second race of the season, as part of the 5-race series hosted by the NICA/TICL League.Read More
Contact
Edgehill Campus
2000 Edgehill Ave.
Nashville, TN 37212
Phone: 615-321-8000
Fax: 615-321-0889
Email: info@usn.org
River Campus
1200 County Hospital Road
Nashville, TN 37218
2000 Edgehill Ave.
Nashville, TN 37212
Phone: 615-321-8000
Fax: 615-321-0889
Email: info@usn.org
River Campus
1200 County Hospital Road
Nashville, TN 37218
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.
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.