MS students collaborate on art work

by Emily Holt, art teacher
 
Their bicycle wheels sculpted in tandem with Friends with intellectual and developmental disabilities will be on display 5 to 8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 1 at Main Street Gallery in East Nashville.
Earlier this fall, a class of seventh and eighth-grade multimedia art students began an artist collaboration with Friends Life Community, a day program for teenagers and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.  The Friends and 20 USN students started a bicycle wheel design based on the tandem bike logo of Friends Life. Students sculpted using found objects, wires, and basket weaving materials from around USN’s midtown campus to sculpt life-size bicycle wheels and Friends did the same.
 
After three weeks, the wheels were exchanged and the partnership began. USN Middle School students learned a lot about collaboration and how to add to another’s work without losing the spirit of the original piece.
 
On Nov. 16, the class went on a field trip to meet the Friends and visit their art studio. During the studio visit, the Friends welcomed us with a round of introductions and our students did the same. Everyone was able to show the wheel they started and which one they enhanced. The excitement and joy of viewing each other’s work was inspirational and heartwarming. 
 
All the wheels and more art work from the Friends will be on display for a one-night reception from 5 to 8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 1 at Main Street Gallery, located at 625 Main Street. Please join us for an evening of art, live music, and light refreshments. The event is free and open to the public. Artwork and handcrafted merchandise will be available to purchase with proceeds benefiting the individual artists and Friends Life Community. All proceeds benefit Friends Life Community.
Back

More USN News

List of 3 news stories.

  • Construction progress as of August 7, 2026.

    Back Lawn transforms with turf field, track

    Expect to see an active construction site as students, families, and faculty return to the Edgehill Campus. Progress continues on USN's most anticipated campus improvement of summer 2026.
    Read More
  • In June 2026, a group of USN students spent two weeks in Mendoza, Argentina through a program organized by Sister Cities Nashville.

    Curricular travel opportunities return for the 2026-2027 school year

    University School of Nashville is excited to announce the return of curricular travel opportunities. Student applications for the 2026-2026 school year will open Friday, August 21, 2026. Additional details, including, financial aid processes, and application timelines, will be shared with families soon.
    Please contact K-12 Director of Experiential Learning Kalee Barbis with any questions, kbarbis@usn.org.
    Read More

  • Back-to-school Popsicle Party cancelled

    Mother Nature is not cooperating for our annual Popsicle Party. Depending on which weather app you use, actual and feels-like temperatures are 98 to 101 and higher. Under these conditions, we would limit student activities, so, in the interest of everyone's health and well-being, we are going to cancell our gathering at the River Campus. There is just not enough shade and certainly no air conditioning to bring relief to hundreds of USN families. Thank you for understanding. We look forward to seeing you in a few days for the start of our new school year.
    Read More
Archive

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

Resources

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.