Two motion picture students recently placed in the WCTE-PBS Students Film Festival that took place January 13-15, 2021. The festival presented students with the opportunity to attend workshops, panels and submit films as a part of an award-winning film screening.
Belmont student Kaleb Knight placed first in Best Tennessee Local Films for his film Sugar Baby. Another student filmmaker, Evan Korycki, placed third in Best Tennessee Local Films for her film Madame Upstairs. Both students placed in the Ages 13+ category for the state of Tennessee.
Dr. Amy Bertram of the Curb College shared the opportunity with as many motion picture students and faculty as possible at the end of the fall semester and several students submitted films. Dr. Bertram shared how proud she was of the students and was happy to see them winning in the Tennessee local category that carried a small cash prize.
To view their films and other award-winners, click here.
R. Milton Johnson, the retired HCA Healthcare chairman and CEO, was recently unanimously elected as the new chair of the Belmont University Board of Trustees. Johnson will step into a role currently held by retired BellSouth/AT&T-Tennessee executive Marty Dickens, who has led the Board since 2005. Johnson, a 1979 Belmont graduate who currently serves on the Board’s Executive Committee and chairs the Academic Affairs Committee, will assume the new role June 1.
The transition is a timely one, coinciding with the May 2021 retirement of long-time Belmont President Dr. Bob Fisher. “I’ve long said that having an involved, supportive Board is what enabled me to successfully serve as Belmont’s president for the past 20 years,” said Fisher. “Having Marty Dickens as chairman gave me and Belmont a tremendous advantage. I’m incredibly grateful for his leadership, and I’m equally excited for Milton Johnson to take the reins. As an alum, he represents what Belmont is all about, truly using his education to make transformational change in the world. With his guidance I’m convinced the best is yet to come for Belmont.”
Dickens added, “Belmont is so fortunate to have Milton Johnson take over as chair of the Board of Trustees. He has consistently demonstrated his passion for education, and for Belmont specifically, throughout his life, and I know he will do a wonderful job leading the Board as the University heads into an exciting future.”
A 37-year veteran of HCA Healthcare, Johnson served in various financial and senior management positions for the company that now includes 184 hospitals and 2,000 sites of care located in 21 states and the United Kingdom. Johnson has remained a dedicated leader and supporter of the University’s mission since his graduation, and he and his wife Denice are active in the lives of Belmont students. The couple created the R. Milton and Denice Johnson Bridges to Belmont Endowed Scholarship Fund in 2015, which helps to provide full scholarships for qualified, high potential students from Metro Nashville Public Schools to attend Belmont. In addition to their financial support, the Johnsons spend substantial time each year with the more than 120 students whose experience at Belmont is made possible by their gifts.
In celebration of the official opening later this month, the National Museum of African American Music held a virtual ribbon cutting ceremony on Monday, January 18, 2021, coinciding with MLK Day. Museum President and CEO H. Beecher Hicks III and special guests commemorated this milestone event in the museum’s history through a live streamed event which can be viewed here.
Timed, self-guided tours on Saturdays and Sundays will be offered when the museum opens on January 30, with additional days becoming available later in the spring. Tickets can be purchased at blackmusicmuseum.org/tickets.
Belmont University is a sponsor of the museum, both financially and in opportunities for growth and education. The University recently hosted a series of webinars for students and the community to discuss racial justice issues within the music industry and also sponsored the Roots and Streams exhibition at the museum. The goal of the partnership is to foster sustained and impactful relationships that lead to better telling of its rich history and might also serve as a conduit for students to visit the museum, have potential internships and work collectively together.
Initiated in anticipation of hosting the final presidential debate on October 22, 2020, Belmont University hosted a visual display of Unity Flags that promote empathy for bipartisanship from artists across the United States, using the American flag and their home states as inspiration. The brainchild of Dr. Meaghan Brady Nelson, assistant professor of art education and program director of fine arts at Belmont, the Unity Flag Project was originally housed at Belmont’s Leu Center for the Visual Arts.
Now, the project is a travelling art exhibit heading to Virginia Wesleyan University’s Robert Nusbaum Center and Neil Britton Art Gallery, set to open on Inauguration Day, January 20, and to continue through March 19 as an expression of national unity. An additional 12 flags created by local individuals and groups will be added to the on-campus exhibition, and digital designs will be added virtually. The exhibit can be viewed virtually here.
Brady Nelson’s goal was to take the blue and red polarization of the country’s current political climate and to use the visual arts to bring them together to foster “purple empathy.” The project was designed to encourage civil discourse, build empathy and bridge political divides through the visual arts by inviting artists from across the country to create representations of the U.S. flag that expressed empathy for bipartisanship.
Nelson explained, “’Purple empathy’ is the action of understanding, being aware of, being sensitive to and vicariously experiencing the feelings, thoughts and experience of another’s political views, political experiences, political opinions, political understandings, political intentions and political decisions.”
In VWU’s announcement of the upcoming exhibit, John Rudel, curator of exhibitions for the Neil Britton Art Gallery, said civil discourse in the arts has the power to provide a focal point for dialogue, to reduce barriers to participation and spark individuals into action, to promote new ways of thinking about and understanding issues, and to ultimately catalyze needed change.
“Following a period of tremendous social unrest in our country, we are hopeful that promoting unity through this exhibition and related events will harness the power of creative expression as a means for positive growth,” he said.
The Robert Nusbaum Center was selected to create the Unity Flag for the state of Virginia. “A Beacon of Hope” was one of the 30 state flags displayed during the October debate and features a lighthouse and heart images as symbols of welcome and hope.
In a virtual video ceremony released earlier today, Belmont University dedicated the area surrounding the campus’ iconic fountain as Freedom Plaza to celebrate and memorialize the lives of the enslaved individuals who are known to have labored on the estate owned by Joseph and Adelicia Acklen more than 170 years ago, prior to the establishment of Belmont College. The known names of these people are now inscribed on the fountain, and a plaque has been installed commemorating the naming of the plaza as a reflection of the lyrics to the “Oh Freedom” spiritual along with an inscription that states “May our journey toward justice honor their memory and their legacy.”
Belmont President Dr. Bob Fisher said, “It’s incredibly appropriate to dedicate Freedom Plaza today as we remember the life and impact of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. I clearly remember as a young boy hearing Dr. King deliver his ‘I Have a Dream Speech’ and being captivated by his vision for how things could be. We’ve made a lot of progress in the past 50 years, but we have a long way to go. Freedom Plaza invites each person who experiences it to reflect on our collective history. I hope it also encourages us all to consider what we can do to bring about the living change that will be required to make Dr. King’s dream for equality come alive for everyone.”
Last summer Belmont held listening sessions with students, faculty, staff and alumni to discuss the national movement against racism in light of well-known incidents of violence and discrimination. Through those conversations, a number of action steps were identified to further promote a campus culture of inclusion and equity, including seeking ways to expand public knowledge around both the history of the property where the campus sits and the Acklens’ original estate summer home, the Belmont Mansion.
Completed in the early 1850s, Belmont Mansion and estate owned by Adelicia and Joseph Acklen was built by enslaved African Americans, European immigrants and American craftsmen, and it relied on enslaved people and European immigrants to maintain the property through the Civil War. The property was sold in 1887 to a land development company and purchased in 1890 by school teachers Ida Hood and Susan Heron, who opened a school for young women, the original Belmont College, on the grounds. Today, the Belmont Mansion is maintained as a historical museum by the Belmont Mansion Association, a private nonprofit restoration and preservation organization.
Last July, Belmont’s Faculty Senate formally passed a motion that charged a subcommittee to create a monument or marker to address “the relationship between the land on which Belmont sits — along with all the institutions that have been on it — to the practices of slavery, white supremacy and racism.”
Associate Professor of Pharmacy Dr. Anthony Blash, who served on the memorial subcommittee, said, “With each step that you take on Freedom Plaza, I ask that you think about the steps each of us can take as we work toward the best Belmont. As your eyes fall on the names of the enslaved persons that toiled on these lands and to those whose names are known only to God, I ask that you remember that no part of what we do as a University is immune from the forces of oppression, objectification and dehumanization, and that we pledge to identify and challenge these forces as a community.”
The name of Freedom Plaza was inspired by the post-Civil War spiritual “Oh Freedom,” which expresses both the dignity of the formerly enslaved and their yearning for release after emancipation. Lyrics from the song are embedded in the memorial plaque, and the song was performed for the dedication ceremony by Professor of Music and Director of Choral Activities Dr. Jeffery Ames.
“When the last of the enslaved received word of their freedom in 1865, there was a bittersweet reality—this so-called freedom would still be laden with oppression and inequality,” said Ames. “Unfortunately, for descendants of the American slavery system, our freedom remains historically emancipated, but has yet to be fully delivered. The premise of the spiritual combines a longing for freedom, both then and now, and a hope for redemption.”
Belmont faculty, staff and administrators financially supported the creation of the memorial, more than tripling the original $10,000 fundraising goal. In addition to sponsoring the memorial, Faculty Senate has also led a number of new and expanded initiatives related to educational efforts around diversity and inclusion, including the creation of a diversity and inclusion resource guide to assist faculty with course development; partnering with the Teaching Center to provide diversity, equity and inclusion workshops; and prompting initiatives to encourage first-year and other courses to discuss and write about racism and anti-racism efforts, among other projects.
Ranking at No. 2 amongst 20 other colleges, Belmont University was recognized as one of the top schools for music in 2020 by Best Value Schools. The review shares that Belmont has “all the benefits and resources that major colleges offer, but the comfort, ease and services of a small college.”
The article shares each college’s acceptance rate, graduation rate and a brief overview on what each place has to offer. Belmont was recognized for being “unmatched in its distinctive programs” and its “world-class instructors.”
Best Value Schools works to help prospective students of universities find education and a school that fits them best. The organization provides accurate information and resources on multiple universities that can help guide students’ decisions for their careers.
Belmont’s University Archivist and Special Collections Manager Ashley White recently self-published her first book entitled The Leas and Lealand. The biography on Judge John McCormick Lea, a former resident of Nashville, is the first and only book on the historical figure. White’s biography shares the story of Judge Lea, his home in Lealand and his many contributions to the Nashville area.
Working with Judge Lea’s descendent, Sally Lea Nance, White informed readers of his service and accomplishments that have greatly affected the Nashville area. Using archival sources and family photographs, she told the story of Judge Lea who served on the board for Belmont College for Young Women, Watkins Institute, the School for the Blind and many other Nashville institutions. In addition, he served as a lawyer, judge, state representative and one-time mayor of Nashville.
Devoting her career to sharing and preserving Nashville’s history, White shared that The Leas and Lealand came from “a natural extension of that passion.” When presented with the opportunity to write this story by Judge Lea’s great-great-granddaughter, she was more than thrilled to champion this historical story.
In the future, White plans to write and publish more local history books as she hopes her next book will tell the story of Samuel Watkins. Additionally, she is currently working on submitting an article to the Tennessee Historical Society for publication on yellow fever and its presence from the late 18th century to the early 20th century.
The Leas and Lealand can be found in stores at Landmark Books in Franklin, Tennessee and the gift shops at Traveller’s Rest, Belle Meade and the Carter House.
As White continues to pursue and share the landmarks and historical figures of Nashville, she shares that “history was my first love and it’ll be my last.”
While the worldwide pandemic prevented an in-person celebration, the annual O’More Fashion Show must go on… Today the O’More College of Architecture & Design released a documentary video that showcases the design work of seven senior and junior students along with highlighting the show’s innovative partnership with Goodwill Industries of Middle Tennessee. The 2020 O’More Fashion Show was sponsored by Singer and AMAX Talent, and the virtual documentary was produced by 2015 Belmont multimedia alumna Shelby Goldsmith.
O’More’s Chair of Fashion Design and Merchandising Jamie Atlas said, “As everyone has experienced challenges this past year and continue to do so, all fashion design programs had to rethink how to showcase work in a safe setting. Our design students always look forward to our biggest event of the year the Annual Fashion Show, and it is also the highlight and culmination for our seniors before they segue into their careers. They spend countless hours taking their inspiration through an extensive design process and anxiously look forward to sharing their collections with the local, regional and national community through an in-person event and live stream. They completed studio classes remotely in Spring and overcame many obstacles, and I am so proud of the work each of them produced that is showcased in this virtual format.”
The collections featured in the 2020 Virtual Fashion Show represented a variety of men’s and women’s wear inspired by everything from the coral reefs of Scotland to a Gothic science fiction character to modest silhouettes of the Victorian era to a native Californian’s favorite season.
For junior Samantha Edington, the basis of her collection was far more personal, as her “Namesake” pieces were inspired by her grandfather, Sammy Edington. A former banker who also raised cattle, the elder Edington was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s a few years ago, and Samantha’s grandmother explained that clothing was becoming a challenge as it was increasingly difficult for him to dress himself. Thus, began Edington’s research into adaptive wear and the creation of her clothing line designed line for men with degenerative diseases.
Sporting a Western-influenced classic feel, the pieces offer theme Velcro and magnetic fasteners, faux buttons and other features that offer comfort and ease, including a stylish vest that mimics the security benefits found in weighted blankets. “After doing this project, I’ve become really interested in doing adaptive wear,” Edington said, “and I’m really interested to see where this goes and how I can use it in the future.”
The documentary also features a partnership with Goodwill Industries of Middle Tennessee that challenged students to source materials from Goodwill retail outlets, creating sustainable designs that give clothing, fabrics and jewelry renewed life and purpose. Additional details will be announced soon regarding a special auction of the garments that were created benefitting education and training for Goodwill employees.
American literary journal Ploughshares announced their published authors for the Winter 2020-2021 issue. Among those authors is Belmont’s Dr. Gary McDowell, associate professor in the English department.
McDowell’s “If There is a Thesis Statement, This Is It,” is currently featured in the winter issue alongside other award-winning journalists. Previously, McDowell was awarded the 2019 White Pine Press Poetry Prize for his published work Aflame. He also has won awards from Green Mountains Review, Burnside Review Books, Minnetonka Review and many others. McDowell’s poetry works can be found in Poetry Northwest, Cimarron Review and The Journal.
McDowell said that “getting students interested however possible is his truest passion.” His main points of interest in literature are prose poems, the lyric essay, disjunctive poetics and creative writing pedagogy. In addition, his published books include a collection of lyric essays entitled Caesura: Essays (Otis Books/Seismicity Editions, 2017).
Ploughshares works to discover and display voices in American literature, and each issue published gives readers a variety such as prose, poetry and a writer’s contest. To see the issue and learn more about the acclaimed journal, visit their website.
The cohort is a 6-month public education leadership development program empowering individuals with the knowledge and skills to serve in elected, appointed and volunteer leadership roles supporting Metro Nashville Public Schools (MNPS). Elected, appointed and volunteer leaders impact the structures, policies and resources for student achievement and workforce readiness. The preparation of these leaders is key to the mission of the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce: To create economic prosperity by facilitating community leadership.
Fellows learn and discuss the structures, challenges and opportunities of MNPS with experts in public education. Sessions include:
Public School Funding
MNPS Budget Process
Education Policy and Law
Roles and Responsibilities of Board of Education and Director of Schools
Teacher and Principal Talent Attraction and Retention
Conflict Resolution and Effective Communication
Upon completion, fellows pursue community leadership roles including: Parent-teacher organization, school or district-based advisory council, nonprofit board of directors, Academies of Nashville Partnership Council, Education Report Committee at the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce, MNPS Board of Education, Tennessee State Board of Education and Metro-Nashville Davidson County boards and commissions.
