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.
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More USN News

List of 3 news stories.

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Edgehill Campus
2000 Edgehill Ave.
Nashville, TN 37212

Phone:  615-321-8000
Fax:       615-321-0889 
Email:    info@usn.org

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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.