Metro Nashville Public Schools’ students collaborated with visual artist Elisheba Israel Mrozik and songwriter Kyshona to create the works presented in the Breathe in Deep. Sing Out Loud! exhibit 

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (March 29, 2022) – The Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum recently unveiled a new exhibit in the Taylor Swift Education Center, featuring music-inspired artwork and an original song created by eighth grade students from Isaiah T. Creswell Middle Magnet School of the Visual and Performing Arts in Nashville. To produce the exhibit, titled Breathe in Deep. Sing out Loud!, the museum and students collaborated with music therapist and songwriter Kyshona and visual artist Elisheba Israel Mrozik, whose contributions are prominently featured.

To inspire the visual art presented in this exhibit, each student was tasked with choosing an existing song that reflected their cultural interests, values or identities. Then, they created two-dimensional representations of their musical selections, working in diverse mediums. The resulting images include a variety of perspectives, from symbolism of a dystopian earth where people are escaping the planet they destroyed, to expressions of peace, joy and beauty.

To write the exhibit’s companion song, “It’s Ok,” students participated in a group songwriting session with Kyshona. Their original song was recorded, featuring museum educator, producer and songwriter Adam Ollendorff’s production and mixing, Kyshona’s vocal performance and backing by a band of professional musicians.

Bringing the project full circle with a visual art response to music, Mrozik translated the feelings and imagery conveyed in the “It’s Ok” song into a large-scale painting, titled “Life Uncharted.” The painting, like the song, encourages hopefulness and presents sunlight emerging from deep darkness. It is centrally featured in the exhibit.

This is the fourth student art exhibition that the museum and Metro Nashville Public School students have mounted since the Taylor Swift Education Center opened in 2014.

The title of the exhibit, Breathe in Deep. Sing out Loud!, is inspired by a lyric from “It’s Ok.”

Visit here, to meet the artists and listen to “It’s Ok.” A QR Code that links to the song is also available within the exhibit.

Admission to the exhibit is included with museum tickets.

Tennessee children ages 18 and under from Cheatham, Davidson, Robertson, Rutherford, Sumner, Williamson and Wilson counties receive free museum admission as part of Community Counts: Museum Admission Program for Locals. Up to two accompanying adults receive 25% off admission. Proof of residency required. For more information, please visit Community Counts or inquire at the Museum Box Office. Community Counts Passports are available for check out through Nashville Public Library for two free adult admissions.

Museum programs for schools are funded in part by the Chet Atkins Music Education Fund of The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee; CMA; CMA Foundation; Dollar General Literacy Foundation; The Memorial Foundation; Metropolitan Nashville Arts Commission; Nashville Predators Foundation; PNC Grow Up Great; and Tennessee Arts Commission.