Lower Schoolers shine at annual art show

By Ian Dinkins, Assistant Director of Marketing and Communications

The walls of the Tibbott Gallery are bursting with bold brushstrokes, fiber sculptures, still-life paintings, and expressive self-portraits — all crafted by the youngest artists at University School of Nashville. For the second year in a row, Lower School students are celebrating their creativity and hard work through a division-wide dedicated gallery, guided by LS Art Teacher Betsy Hoffman.

Although student artwork is often displayed outside Lower School classrooms throughout the year, Hoffman said she wanted to create a collective space where Lower Schoolers could see their work elevated in a more formal setting.

“I wanted them to have a chance to collectively celebrate their creativity and hard work,” Hoffman said. 

For Mitch Calhoun-Hauck ’33, that piece that sparked that sense of pride was a tiger painting he created for Grandparents’ and Special Friends’ Day.

“That piece was the one I worked the hardest on, so I wanted it to be displayed,” he said proudly. “I liked that I was able to show off my hard work for everyone.”

Charlotte Wolf ’33 selected a still life portrait for the art show.

“The portrait was pretty and I liked how it turned out,” she said. “It’s fun to see my art in the gallery because I don’t usually see my artwork in public and have other people look at it.”

Hoffman said she sees this kind of recognition as essential. “If you pass by the art room, you will often hear me saying, ‘It’s your art, not mine,’” she said. “They feel validated and supported when they see their work displayed.”

The gallery is not just about final products, though. It’s a celebration of process and experimentation, which was Charlotte’s favorite part of art class this year.

“I love that after our assignments are done, we get to be creative and work on any project that we’d like to,” Charlotte said.

Kindergartners created fiber sculptures inspired by Judith Scott, an artist with Down syndrome who was also deaf and nonverbal. “She spoke through her art,” Hoffman explained. “It was a fantastic process art project.”

Each grade had a unique contribution to the gallery: first graders crafted individualized peace signs from model magic, second graders painted bright Nashville cityscapes and striking triptychs, third graders dove into embroidery and landscape art, many sewing for the first time, and fourth graders pushed their skills with oversized animal paintings, still lifes, and powerful mixed-media portraits.

For Hoffman, who has now hosted the show two years in a row, the process is a labor of love. 

“It’s a lot of work to put up, but I cannot imagine not doing it every year.”

The importance of sharing this work with the wider USN community goes beyond decoration. 

“USN celebrates individuality and expression,” Hoffman said. “I think it’s important for our community to see that Lower School students have something to say, too.”

And say something they do. With every brushstroke, sculpture, and stitched line, these young artists are declaring their presence and their voices at USN.