Inspired by Thomas Hart Benton
Sources of Me
Student Art Exhibition
Sources of Me, a Museum exhibition showcasing artwork from Metro Nashville Public School students, was inspired by the Thomas Hart Benton masterwork The Sources of Country Music, an iconic mural that now hangs in the Country Music Hall of Fame Rotunda. The Benton painting, commissioned by the Museum in 1973, depicts the musical and cultural roots of country music. Students were asked to engage with it by producing artworks that represent their own explorations of “sources” for various topics to which they feel connected. See their work below.
Meet The Artists
Sources of the Three Grand Divisions
Chioma (Rachel) Enemuoh
Nashville School of the Arts
The three grand divisions of Tennessee and American Regionalism correspond with each other because American Regionalism is an art movement that celebrated the importance of place, and the three regions of Tennessee are very distinct.
Sources of My Family
Dariana Montano Jimenez
Nashville School of the Arts
In my artwork I explore the sources of my family. I have captured the differences between the homes of my grandmas in Mexico. I attempted to show the scenery that the homes include, as well as show how they are similar.
Sources of Disco
Lillian Smith
Nashville School of the Arts
My project reflects the idea of disco in America, like Thomas Hart Benton’s The Sources of Country Music focuses on country music in America. I liked the idea of focusing on music as well, since it is a big part of my life, and my family is very musical.
Sources of Jazz
Paul Boyd
Nashville School of the Arts
I decided for my project to explore the source of jazz music and its history. This drawing has many different things going on around it, like the music notes coming from the ink splashes, the many different names going around, and the bright, mixing colors.
Sources of Country Music: The African American Influence
Sienna Tyler
Nashville School of the Arts
Through exploring the origins of country music, firmly rooted in African American culture, I delved into themes of heritage and identity. In my work, the imagery reflects the rich tapestry of life and intertwining narratives of history and tradition.
Sources of Modern-Day Filmmaking
Elliott Worley
Nashville School of the Arts
I created a movie set featuring various elements that shaped the modern state of filmmaking. The T. rex busting through the wall is a not-so-subtle nod to Jurassic Park, an incredibly influential film that proved how well CG effects can be created with expertise.
History of Piano
Olivia Bessenroth
Nashville School of the Arts
I created a visual expression of the history of piano, from the origins to the modern-day keyboard. I showed this by creating a fading effect with black and white to color—showing older models of pianos to modern-day designs.
History of Animation
Khristian McKenzie
Nashville School of the Arts
I created History of Animation because animation inspired me when I was little and encouraged me to create art. It is a career I might want to get into when I graduate. Thomas Hart Benton inspired my art piece with the way he combined his art into a visual historical story.
Hierarchy
Hailey James, Raquel Arqueta-Perez, Joy Yared, Kyra Humphrey, Kaydin Shelton
Cane Ridge High School
Our piece is about graduation, personal struggles/triumphs, school during our everyday lives, and how we relate to one another. People need to know that it’s not easy being a teenager during this time.
2023 Student Art Exhibit
To create the exhibition All I Am, students from Hunters Lane High School, a Metro Nashville public school, and their art teacher, Kendra Bomar, collaborated with music therapist and songwriter Kyshona and visual artist Elisheba Israel Mrozik. Working together, they combined music and visual art into audiovisual expression.