CASE Afterschool Students Experience Frist Art Exhibit in the Classroom!

CASE volunteer Melanie Flores (far right) received training from the Frist to lead an art enhancement based upon the works of Jeffrey Gibson, an artist of Cherokee heritage that focuses on traditional indigenous artwork.

Written by: Walt Reynolds

CASE Afterschool partners with the Frist Museum in an Enhancement activity for Middle School Youth

A generous partnership with the Frist Art Museum allowed CASE students at all four of our site locations to create an original piece inspired by a current exhibit at the Frist. CASE’s volunteer Melanie Flores was certified to lead this enhancement activity based on the artwork of Jeffrey Gibson, an artist of Cherokee heritage that focuses on traditional indigenous artwork. To read more about this exhibit at the Frist, click here.

Students practiced one of two art techniques. Each of them were inspired by Gibson’s artwork which is pattern based, but takes two forms for this activity. One site used special grid paper provided by the Frist along with sets of different markers, and another site used different colors of tape to create their own arrays of design. Program participants enjoyed this hands-on opportunity to communicate something artistically about themselves and their experiences.

Next, students will go on a field trip to see an exhibit by Jeffrey Gibson, the artist that inspired their activity

This enhancement is particularly special because it is just a preview for a more full of exploration of this artwork at the museum! At the end of this month, students will go on a field trip to the Frist Art Museum to see the same exhibit that inspired the artwork they created. We are thankful for the opportunities students had to develop in their artistic abilities, and let it be a vehicle for storytelling.

Youth used grids, markers, and tape to create different quilt pieces that represented part of their story, inspired by Jeffrey Gibson’s current art exhibit at the Frist.

We are so grateful to partner with the Frist Art Museum, for the cooperation to certify one of our volunteers to lead this activity, to help connect students to their artistic self-expression, and for their hospitality to host us at the field trip. The field trip will be on March 25th, and students look forward to experiencing the full exhibit in person!