This week's newsletter features a sneak peek into one of the incredible musers who will be joining us at this year’s TAA Summer Institute! We have a stellar lineup, and today we want to share info about Chaz Guest, a renowned visual artist. You don't want to miss this special time with him at the podium!

What are "Musings" at the TAA Summer Institute? "Musings" are a special time of thoughtful inspiration and introspection, built into the heart of our busy Summer Institute schedule each day. During Musings, all participants gather to reflect on the powerful role of the arts in education and life. Each session is led by an individual deeply involved in the arts, who acts as a muse, guiding us through an exploration of the richness and depth the arts bring to our lives. It’s a time to pause, reflect, and be inspired—especially by our featured muser, Chaz Guest, who’s sure to leave you with fresh ideas and a renewed sense of purpose. Mark your calendars, and join us at the 2025 TAA Summer Institute July 13-18, at Middle Tennessee State University!

2025 TAA Tuesday Muser

Chaz Guest

Painter, Sculptor

July 15th • 1:20 PM

Tucker Theatre

Middle Tennessee State University

Chaz Guest is an American painter and sculptor who is profoundly inventive and captures the raw essence of the human spirit. Blessed with the gift of realizing his richly textured visions and tapping into their vibrant essence, Guest leaves those who encounter his works moved in powerfully personal ways. Born in Niagara Falls, New York, he earned a degree and studied graphic design at Southern Connecticut State University, then studied at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York. The city became his muse, nurturing boldness and improvisation within his spirit. He then moved to Paris, France, where he worked for the haute couture magazine, Joyce.

Guest has exhibited in many prestigious galleries in Europe, Latin America, Asia, and the United States, and his work is found in many spaces of distinction. Barack Obama has two of his works: one of Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, and a portrait of himself. Oprah Winfrey owns a Guest painting of Maya Angelou as a little girl, Poised with a Pencil, as well as the work Industrial Revolution Classroom from the Cotton Series. This series of work grew from Guest’s personal connection to a plantation in Georgia owned by his great-grandparents. Using cotton picked from the grounds of the plantation as his inspiration, he created the Cotton Series. Guest says of this work: “I needed the world to understand that those men, women, and children were not slaves. They were enslaved people. I painted the dignity that lived inside them.”

Beyond his acclaimed solo exhibits, Chaz Guest’s soul is reflected in his philanthropy and lives and breathes deepest in his work with children. In 2011, he was the Goodwill Ambassador to the Republic of Gambia where his goal was to instill in its citizens an unshakable sense of pride in their culture. Guest reflects: "I want children all over the world to paint themselves – a kid from the ghetto connecting with a kid from Gambia swapping portraits. When you can depict yourself through art, you grow up with an amazing found respect for yourself and humanity."



"The greatest thing that people get from my paintings is seeing themselves within them, no matter who you are," Guest concludes. "By the time I leave this earth, I want to see people moving closer together."

"She's Got His Back"

Painting by Chaz Guest

Only Four Days Left to Apply for These Scholarships!

One important goal of the Tennessee Arts Academy Foundation is to provide teachers with every opportunity possible to attend the TAA Summer Institute. If you want to join us this summer but finances are an issue, there are several possibilities for you to consider. If you need any help or more information on any of the TAA funding plans, please feel free to contact the TAA office via email (taa@tnartsacademy.org) or phone (615-988-6250).

**As a reminder, you must first apply and be accepted to the TAA Summer Institute and fill out the online forms referenced in the acceptance letter before submitting TAA scholarship materials.

These two scholarship deadlines are quickly approaching!

Dorothy M. Gillespie Visual Art Scholarship

The Dorothy M. Gillespie Visual Art Scholarship will be awarded to one female, visual art teacher who is a first-time TAA Summer Institute attendee. The scholarship includes full tuition, on-campus housing, and a $150 stipend to cover travel expenses and meals not provided during the Academy week. The application deadline is this Friday, March 21, 2025.

Theatrical Rights Worldwide Theatre Scholarship

Leading performance rights licensing company Theatrical Rights Worldwide (TRW) will provide one full theatre tuition scholarship (includes registration fee and will also include on-campus housing if needed) for this year's Summer Institute week. The scholarship is open to any registered TAA participant who is in any level of the theatre track (elementary or secondary). The application deadline is this Friday, March 21, 2025.

Hurry Before this Contest Ends!

Connections Visual Art Contest

Don't forget to take advantage of this great opportunity for creative visual artists!

Connections: Tennessee Art Education Association Member Exhibition is a juried show that will be held in Middle Tennessee State University's Todd Art Gallery. Connections is open to all current 2024-2025 TAEA members. No more than two (2) entries per member may be entered. Entries must be submitted by March 31, 2025.

The first-place winner will receive a cash award of $200! Cash awards for second and third place and honorable mentions will also be awarded. Please click the button below to learn more about the rules of entry. For questions, please contact Kim Shamblin at Kimshamblin21@gmail.com or call 901-485-8339. Feel free to also contact the TAA office by email (taa@tnartsacademy.org) or by phone (615-988-6250).

Student Competition Alert!

The Tennessee Education Association (TEA) invites Tennessee public high school students to share their voices and creativity through the TEA Student Expression Campaign. This initiative encourages students in grades 9-12 to express their perspectives on social justice through visual art, music, spoken word, video or photography. 

Contest submissions will be accepted through March 31. This is a powerful opportunity for young creators to be heard and celebrated. Submissions will be reviewed by a panel of TEA member judges, who will select two winners in each category. First-place winners will receive a $1,000 scholarship, and second-place winners will receive $500. All winners will also be honored at the 2025 TEA Summer Leadership Academy in June. To participate, students must have a TEA Member Sponsor, and TEA can connect them with a sponsor if they don’t already have one.

2024 TAA Music Participants Honing Their Guitar Skills

"The high level of instruction and passion shown by our teachers, speakers, performers, and staff at TAA made me feel respected as a professional teacher of fine arts, which is really valuable to me! I felt that my time and effort were respected, and I have already recommended the training to a BUNCH of teachers for next year!"

Caitlin Pitts, Virginia

2024 TAA Upper Middle/Secondary Theatre Participant

Academy Essentials

What You Need to Know About the

TAA Summer Institute

WHO, WHEN AND WHERE: The Tennessee Arts Academy Summer Institute will be held on the campus of Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) on July 13-18, 2025. The Academy is designed for K-12 arts specialists, elementary classroom teachers, librarians, pre-service college education majors, and school administrators.

WHAT: Intensive discipline-specific training, nationally renowned speakers and performers, unique interdisciplinary workshops, and a host of fun and festive special events are all part of the TAA Summer Institute schedule.

FEES: The registration fee is only $489.00. On-campus housing is available for a nominal additional fee.

REGISTRATION INFO: Click here to apply for the 2025 TAA Summer Institute. First-time applicants receive priority acceptance. Regular registration continues through the end of June or until classes have been filled.

A Grand TAA Adventure Awaits You this Summer!

Check Out What's New at MTSU and

Don't Miss the 2025 Tennessee Arts Academy Summer Institute!

TAA MISSION STATEMENT

The mission of the Tennessee Arts Academy is to provide exceptional quality professional development, arts training, support, encouragement, information and renewal to K-12 teachers and to promote and honor the role of the arts in the lives of all Tennesseans.

The Tennessee Arts Academy is a project of the

Tennessee Department of Education and is funded under a grant contract with the State of Tennessee.

Major corporate, organizational, and individual funding support

for the Tennessee Arts Academy programming in 2025 is generously provided by:

Significant sponsorship, scholarship, and event support for the

Tennessee Arts Academy Foundation in 2025 is generously provided by:

Bonnaroo Works Fund of The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee;

Dorothy M. Gillespie Foundation; Morel Enoch; James R. Holcomb;

Patricia A. Hudson; Jeanette and Bill Watkins; and Talmage Watts.

The Tennessee Arts Academy is funded in part by

Metro Arts / Nashville Office of Art + Culture. 

Help Support TAA by purchasing a Tennessee Specialty License Plate. A percentage of the proceeds from the sale of Tennessee Specialty Plates goes directly to the Tennessee Arts Commission, which in turn provides grants to the Tennessee Arts Academy. Click here to learn more about the Specialty License Plate program. Buy one today!

Your donation helps ensure the work of the Tennessee Arts Academy,

bringing in world-class faculty and performers, providing scholarships, and continuing our legacy as the premier teacher training institute for arts education.

TENNESSEE ARTS ACADEMY FOUNDATION

801 2nd Avenue North • Suite 100

Nashville, Tennessee 37201



OFFICE TELEPHONE: 615-988-6250 | EMAIL: taa@tnartsacademy.org

VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT: TNARTSACADEMY.ORG



The TAA Summer Institute is hosted by and in partnership with the College of Liberal Arts on the campus of Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.

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